Voltammetric determination of 2-chlorophenol using a glassy carbon electrode coated with multi-wall carbon nanotube-dicetyl phosphate film

Abstract

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were dispersed into water in the presence of dicetyl phosphate (DCP), and MWNT-DCP composite film coated glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) were constructed. The electrochemical properties of 2-chlorophenol at a bare GCE and MWNT-DCP modified GCE were compared. It was found that MWNT-DCP modified GCEs significantly enhance the oxidation peak current of 2-chlorophenol and lowers its oxidation overpotential, suggesting great potential in the sensitive determination of 2-chlorophenol. Finally, a sensitive and simple voltammetric method was developed for the determination of 2-chlorophenol. The oxidation peak current increases linearly with the concentration in the range of 1.0 × 10−7–2.0 × 10−5 mol L−1, and the detection limit is 4.0 × 10−8 mol L−1 for 2 min accumulation. The method was successfully used to determine 2-chlorophenol in waste water samples.