The purpose of this study is to prepare various CeO2-based carbon material (CNT, CB, GO) nanocomposites through a wet chemical process for the development of a sensor probe to detect various environmental toxins by using an electrochemical approach under room temperature conditions. A comparative study on sensitive and selective phenolic sensor (4-methoxyphenol; 4-MP) has been fabricated by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with various nanocomposites (NCs) such as CeO2, CeO2–CNT (carbon nanotubes), CeO2–CB (carbon black) and CeO2–GO (graphene oxide) NCs.
The CeO2–CNT NCs were prepared by the wet chemical method at low temperature. NCs were characterized by various methods such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR), ultra-violet/visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and XRD (X-ray diffraction). CeO2–CNT NCs were immobilized as a film on the flat surface of the GCE by using binders (5% Nafion). The electrochemical measurements of the 4-MP detection with the CeO2–CNT NCs/Nafion/GCE sensor were studied by the current-voltage method.
In the optimal conditions, the sensitivity, detection limit and limit of quantification of 4-MP sensor probe were found to be 47.56 µAcm-2 µM−1, 12.0 ± 0.2 nM and 40.0 ± 0.5 nM (S/N of 3), respectively.
This electrochemical sensor showed an acceptable analytical performance in the detection of 4-MP with higher sensitivity, lower detection limit, large dynamic concentration range, good reproducibility and fast response time.
This electrochemical approach can be applied practically for the determination of selective 4-MP in real environmental and extracted samples.
CeO2–CNT NCs/Nafion/GCE sensor probe was used for the safety of environmental and health-care fields at larger scales.
This electrochemical approach is a significant achievement on the development of sensor probe. The results are indicated as being technically detailed with an up-to-date account of recent chemical sensor research studies.
