Methanol detection with Au-nanoparticles decorated-PPyC-SnO2 nanocomposites using PEDOT:PSS polymer by differential pulse voltammetry

Abstract

In this approach, sensitive development of methanol electrochemical sensor based on Au-nanoparticles decorated polypyrrole carbon with tin dioxide nanocomposites (Au NPs-PPyC-SnO2 NCs) were prepared and deposited onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to make sensor probe using PEDOT:PSS polymer as a conducting binder. The newly developed Au NPs-PPyC-SnO2 NCs were prepared through wet chemical and photo-reduction techniques in lab-made experimental scales, resulting in a morphology that promotes electrochemical reactions for detecting unsafe methanol under ambient conditions using three-electrode systems by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The sensor exhibited higher sensitivity (4.2373 µAµM-1cm−2), lower limit of detection (LOD; 2.39 ± 0.12 µM), and a wide linear detection range (LDR; 30.0 to 300.0 µM), which measured from the slope of the calibration curve from concentration variation analyses by considering the active surface area of the coated GCE. To validate its practical application, the fabricated Au NPs-PPyC-SnO2 NCs/GCE sensor electrode was tested for several real samples. It was found a satisfactory performance in the detection of methanol that was observed by using the electrochemical DPV technique with the recovery approach for the fabricated Au NPs-PPyC-SnO2 NCs/GCE sensor probe. It has introduced a new route for the sensitive detection of target methanol with gold-decorated nanocomposite materials in the protection of environmental and ecological fields using an electrochemical approach on a large scale.