Electrochemical detection of methyl parathion using zirconium dioxide@single-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode

Abstract

In this work, the multifunctional nanocomposite of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SCN) was prepared to modify the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the fabrication of ZrO2@SCN/GCE sensor. The fabricated nanocomposite electrochemical sensor was successfully used to achieve the efficient and sensitive detection of methyl parathion (MP). For the ZrO2@SCN nanocomposite, ZrO2 nanoparticles could promote the enrichment of MP molecules on the electrode surface of ZrO2@SCN/GCE sensor because of the interplay between Zr-O groups and phosphorus groups of MP molecules; SCN presented efficient one-dimensional charge transport channels, which achieved the excellent conductivity property of carbon material. Moreover, SCN could greatly compensate for the non-conductivity of ZrO2 nanoparticles. The functional combination of ZrO2 nanoparticles and SCN enhanced the electrochemical detection performance of MP. The ZrO2@SCN/GCE sensor exhibited good MP detection property with low limit of detection of 6.15 nM (pH = 7.0, MP concentration: 0.01–10 μM). The fabricated sensor also showed good practical application property for the detection of MP in real samples (Lake water and green tea).