Rapid and facile electrochemical detection and degradation of carbendazim in the spiked environmental trials using reduced graphene oxide/titanium dioxide-based sensor

Abstract

This study aims to develop a rapid, facile, and sensitive sensor for electroanalytical carbendazim (CAR) detection. A novel and simple sensor was fabricated by incorporating a composite matrix of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) loaded carbon paste within a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tube for investigation. Characterization of the synthesized TiO2-NPs was conducted using SEM, XRD, and AFM techniques to assess their structural, morphological and functional features that could support understanding the electrocatalytic activity at the modified sensor (CPE/rGO/TiO2). Comparative analysis with the carbon paste electrode (CPE) revealed that CPE/rGO/TiO2 demonstrated sensitivity, achieving approximately a 6-fold higher detection current in CAR analysis. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) approaches were employed for CAR's electrochemical detection and determination. The physicochemical attributes of the electrode activity were investigated under optimum experimental conditions, including electrolyte pH and accumulation time. The CPE/rGO/TiO2 exhibited a limit of detection of 7.66 nM, with a sensitivity of 1.08 µA.µM−1.cm−2 within a wide range of concentration linearity. The selectivity of CPE/rGO/TiO2 against interference metal ions with CAR was assessed. In real-time applications, the developed electrode was tested for the analysis of CAR in spiked soil and water samples, demonstrating significant detection capacity with good recovery. Moreover, the electrode exhibited stability across multiple measurements, highlighting CPE/rGO/TiO2 as a promising sensor for CAR detection.