Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets incorporated with polypyrrole nanocomposite: A sensitive metal-free electrocatalyst for determination of antibiotic drug nitrofurantoin

Abstract

The fabrication of highly conductive polymers combined with heterojunction materials makes new strategies in the electrochemical analysis of antibiotic drug sensors that offer simplistic, efficient, and excellent physicochemical properties. In this work, the metal-free catalyst of g-C 3 N 4 incorporated with PPy nanocomposite was synthesized via in-situ polymerization followed by the facile sonochemical method and its application for highly sensitive voltammetric sensing of nitrofurantoin (NFT). The crystallinity, functionality, and structural morphology of as-prepared nanocomposite was systematically investigated by suitable spectroscopic analyzes. The specific surface area of the g-C 3 N 4 /PPy nanocomposite increases upon assembly of the PPy nanoparticles on the g-C 3 N 4 surface, owing to the strong conductivity and synergistic interaction between g-C 3 N 4 and PPy thus improving electrocatalytic performance. The electrochemical activity of the g-C 3 N 4 /PPy modified electrode showed an effective NFT reduction with peak current and peak potential was confirmed through CV and DPV studies. The results of the g-C 3 N 4 /PPy sensor presented the lowest detection limit of 0.005 µM with good linearity of 0.04–585.2 µM and a surprising sensitivity of 7.813 µA µM –1 cm –2 than that of previously reported sensors. Besides, the constructed electrode reveals excellent stability, reproducibility, repeatability, and selectivity of flutamide (FLT), and chloramphenicol (CAP) interferents with obtained peaks are well separated towards NFT sensing. The modified electrode is further adapted to NFT in real human samples with appreciable results. Schematic illustration for the preparation of g-C 3 N 4 /PPy nanocomposite and its application for the electrochemical detection of NFT. • g-C 3 N 4 /PPy nanocomposite was prepared through the simple sonochemical method. • g-C 3 N 4 /PPy modified electrode shows significant enhancement in the detection of NFT. • The nanocomposite displayed excellent sensitivity and the lowest detection limits. • Selective values of NFT in human urine and serum samples.