Polyaniline/graphene/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites for sensing environmentally hazardous 4-aminophenol

Abstract

New formulations of polyaniline/graphene/carbon nanotubes nanocomposites (PANI/G/CNTs) were synthesized in-situ polymerization process in acidic solution. Initially, the suggested nanocomposites were prepared with fixed weight from aniline monomer and different mixed ratio from graphene nanosheets and carbon nanotubes assembly (GNS/CNTs). The structure of the new formulation was confirmed by variable characterization techniques, including FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM and electrical conductivity etc. PANI/G/CNT3 was considered as the optimized combination in materials composition. The PANI/G/CNTs nanocomposites were deposited on flat-silver electrode to result in a phenolic chemical sensor that has a fast response to selective 4-aminophenol (4-AP) in buffer system. Features including sensitivity, detection limit, reproducibility, selectivity, and electrochemical performances were investigated in details with the PANI/G/CNT3 nanocomposites fabricated electrodes. The calibration plot (at +0.5 V) is linear over the large 4-aminophenol concentration range (0.1 nM to 0.01 M). The sensitivity and detection limit of target 4-AP is calculated as ∼2.1873 μA cm−2μM−1 and 63.4 pM (at a signal-to-noise-ratio, SNR of 3) respectively. With such excellent features as wide linear dynamic range, higher sensitivity, good stability, lowest detection limit, excellent selectivity, the sensor provides a new strategy for determination of 4-AP in environmental real sample with satisfactory results.