Electrochemical sensor based on polyamide 6/polypyrrole electrospun nanofibers coated with reduced graphene oxide for malathion pesticide detection

Abstract

Abstract An electrochemical sensor based on polymeric electrospun nanofibers of polyamide 6 (PA6)/polypyrrole (PPy) surface-modified with two forms of graphene was developed for the detection of malathion, an organophosphorus pesticide. The materials were chosen considering the electrospun nanofibers possess large surface area and porosity, while reduced graphene oxide has remarkable electrical conductivity, which is a good strategy to increase sensor sensitivity and improve the limit of detection towards the pesticide. The surface modification of nanofibers with graphene was carried out using chemically (CRGO) and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO), in order to demonstrate how the degree of reduction of graphene oxide can influence its electrical conductivity. The influence of the reduction on the conductivity properties of graphene-based films was studied through electrochemical techniques: cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The platform modified with CRGO, which presented higher electrical conductivity compared to ERGO, was used in the electrochemical detection of the pesticide malathion and exhibited a low detection limit of 0.8 ng ml−1 (S/N = 3). The results indicate that chemically reduced graphene oxide is a potential alternative for modifying electrodes surfaces designed for sensing distinct pollutants of environmental or agricultural interest.