Carbon spherical shells in a flexible photoelectrochemical sensor to determine hydroquinone in tap water

Author(s)

Martoni, Lucas V. L. ; Gomes, Nathalia O. ; Prado, Thiago M. ; Calegaro, Marcelo L. ; Oliveira Jr, Osvaldo N. ; Machado, Sergio A. S. ; Raymundo-Pereira, Paulo A.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING; v. 10, n. 3, p. 9-pg., 2022-04-01.

Abstract

Analytical tools are essential to monitor anthropogenic contamination of natural resources and prevent health risks to humans and other living beings, which should be low-cost, with fast response and high sensitivity. In this work we developed a photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor to determine hydroquinone in tap water using a screenprinted carbon electrode functionalized with carbon spherical shells (CSS) synthesized using the hydrothermal method. The CSS had an average size of 150 +/- 30 nm, and a band gap of 1.3 eV estimated with a Tauc plot using data from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. With CSS in the sensing layer, the photoelectrochemical sensor could determine hydroquinone within a linear range from 3.0 to 23.0 mu mol L-1, sensitivity 0.07 mu A mu mol-1 L and limit of detection (LOD) 2.7 mu mol L-1 (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The PEC sensor was reproducible, selective and amenable to use in complex matrices, such as tap water. CSS are advantageous as they can be obtained at low cost with green methodologies for mass production, and then be employed in PEC sensors for routine analysis of emerging pollutants. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/09587-8 - Development of electrochemical devices based on carbon and silver nanostructures to detect endocrine disruptors in quantities of water supply
• Grantee: Nathalia Oezau Gomes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 19/01777-5 - Manufacture of disposable electrochemical devices composed of hollow carbon nanospheres and carbon nanowires decorated with silver nanoparticles for the quantification of endocrine disruptors in supply water samples
• Grantee: Sergio Antonio Spinola Machado
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/01919-6 - Design and fabrication of nanostructured flexible devices for biomarkers detection
• Grantee: Paulo Augusto Raymundo Pereira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 18/22214-6 - Towards a convergence of technologies: from sensing and biosensing to information visualization and machine learning for data analysis in clinical diagnosis
• Grantee: Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants