Soft-template and glucose-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Cu-Cu2O core-shell nanospheres entrapped in carbon layer nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of environmentally hazardous bisphenol A in selected regular plastic consumable products

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In this study, we first report a novel Cu-Cu2O core-shell nanospheres (Cu-Cu2O CSNSs) entrapped in carbon layer (Cu-Cu2O CSNSs/C) nanocomposite as a versatile electrochemical sensing material for the BPA detection. This novel composite was synthesized via soft-template and glucose-assisted hydrothermal method. The sensor was characterized at all stages of fabrication by microscopic, spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The Cu-Cu2O CSNSs/C/GCE revealed an efficient electrochemical performance towards the BPA detection by having a large electroactive surface area and fast electron transfer rate than Cu-Cu2O NSs/GCE and bare GCE. Subsequently, the optimized electrode was employed for the electrochemical investigations involving pH, scan rate, concentration and real sample studies. The Cu-Cu2O CSNSs/C/GCE sensor demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance, with low limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.025 and 0.083 µM, respectively. Moreover, the fabricated sensor showed satisfactory repeatability, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity, enabling reliable BPA detection. In order to evaluate the practical applicability, we successfully used the Cu-Cu2O CSNSs/C/GCE to detect BPA in selected regular plastic consumable products, such as drinking water bottles and food containers, with high recovery rates. Based on the obtained results, this pioneering work opens the way for the development of rapid and cost-effective BPA monitoring platforms, promising significant advancements in environmental and healthcare sectors.