Nafion-Assisted Electrochemical Detection of Copper(I) Oxide Nanoparticles Under Neutral Conditions

Abstract

Herein, a rapid and straightforward electrochemical sensor was developed for the detection of Cu 2 O nanoparticles under neutral conditions via the use of a semipermeable Nafion membrane. This work successfully addresses the challenges associated with quantitative and onsite analysis of Cu 2 O nanoparticles at ultra-low concentrations. The electroreduction of Cu 2 O nanoparticles was significantly enhanced by improving the neutralization of the generated OH ‒ ions through proton transfer facilitated by Nafion. The sensor exhibited linear detection ranges of 0.00–0.20 μ g and 0.20–2.0 μ g of Cu 2 O, with sensitivities of 107 ± 3 μ A μ g ‒1 and 23 ± 3 μ A μ g ‒1 , respectively. The limit of detection (3S B /m) was determined to be 0.23 ng. The sensor demonstrated good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation below 5% and proved to be effective in detecting Cu 2 O nanoparticles in various water samples.