One-step electrochemical preparation of platinum nanoparticle decorated self-healing reduced graphene oxide three-dimensional nanoarray for portable detection of bisphenol A

Abstract

Highly selective and sensitive analysis of bisphenol A (BPA) in many plastic products remains its significance. We explored a simple, highly sensitive, and inexpensive electrochemical sensor based on a self-healing three-dimensional nanoarray (3DN) via a single-step electrochemical preparation of both platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on a glassy carbon electrode for the portable detection of bisphenol (BPA) in plastic bottled waters. The structure of PtNPs/3DNrGO was confirmed by electron microscope and spectroscopic characterization. Electrochemical characteristics indicated that PtNPs/3DNrGO could decrease the oxidation overpotential due to the self-healing effect of the physical interaction between PtNPs and hydroxyl groups of rGO with an increase in the active surface area. The PtNPs/3DNrGO exhibited remarkably efficient electrocatalytic performance for the oxidation of BPA. The PtNPs/3DNrGO sensor for BPA demonstrated a wide linear range from 0.7 to 20µM with a low limit of detection of 6nM (S/N = 3) and effective performance including high sensitivity, high repeatability, and excellent selectivity. The developed sensor had been effectively implemented to assess BPA in plastic samples with desirable impacts. The interaction mechanism of both PtNPs and rGO was inferred by density functional theory. The proposed electrochemical sensor enabled the development of a portable, low-cost, and user-friendly monitoring of water quality, which will offer theoretical support for environmental monitoring.