Rational construction of 2D heterostructures: Niobium carbide entangled rGO aerogel for the detection of para nitroaniline isomer in environmental water samples

Abstract

4-Nitroaniline (4-NTA) is considered to be an environmental pollutant that is extremely hazardous to the ecosystem which is found in an inclusive range of industrial chemicals that includes dyes, pigments, fungicides, and pesticides. When 4-NTA occurs in water it seems to be highly carcinogenic to human beings. In consequence, there's a critical need for monitoring and identifying ecologically highly hazardous 4-NTA, specifically in water samples. Herein, the design of a novel niobium carbide/reduced graphene oxide aerogel (NC/rGO-A) was prepared to perform effective electrochemical recognition of 4-NTA in environmental water samples. The specific features of rGO-A with high porosity, and higher electrical conductivity, when coordinated with metal carbide, will sufficiently provide higher active sites resulting in excellent performances. Various methods of investigation have been employed to identify the physical and chemical characteristics. The fabricated NC/rGO-A sample over the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) has been subjected to sensing investigation with a wide linear range of 0.039−1602 µM with good sensitivity 27.96 μA μM−1 cm2, the limit of detection at 4.6 nM for 4-NTA detection. Furthermore, the designed 4-NTA sensing exhibited excellent anti-interference, reproducibility, repeatability, and stability. The as-developed sensor's electrochemical analysis outcomes indicate the superior performance inherent in the developed composites.