Fluorenone Decorated RGO Based Electrochemical Sensor for Rapid Detection of Chlorpyrifos in Vegetable and Soil Samples

Abstract

A novel synthetically accessible electrochemical sensor has been developed for the detection of chlorpyrifos (CPS) at a very minimal level by utilizing a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with RGO functionalized fluorenone derivative (RGO-NS). The structural and morphological aspects of the derived composite were assessed by FTIR, XRD, FESEM, DFT with in-depth electrochemical analysis. The fluorenone appended with distinct functionalities has supported the reversible redox reactions of CPS, thus, boosting the specificity of the sensor. The design of the electrochemical sensors involved functionalization of RGO possessing high adsorption capacity, which has further amplified the electrochemical sensitivity. The sensing response has been credited to the reduction associated with hydrogen ion which on addition of CPS gets quenched due to catalytic reaction between the two. The synergy has resulted in the low detection limit of 8.89 ng ml−1 for CPS along with reliable detection of CPS in soil samples without spiking. The framework has the excellent future prospects in the practical management of pernicious pesticides usually employed in agricultral fields and their residues on food products posing a serious danger to human health.