Development of nano poly(3-methyl thiophene)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes sensor for the efficient detection of some pesticides

Abstract

A modified electrode fabricated by coating multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/poly(3-methyl thiophene, P3MT) film on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and was used for the adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of different classes of pesticides. These include herbicide (isoproturon), insecticides (voltage, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate) and an acaricide (dicofol). Electrochemical behaviour of all the selected pesticides was investigated on P3MT/ MWCNT/GCE nano composite surface at selected pHs 1, 4, 7, 9.2 and 13. In cyclic voltammetry, isoproturon (ISO) and voltage (VOL) exhibited one well-defined oxidation peak at pH 1, while remaining pesticides gave one reduction peak at pH 13. Adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of above-said pesticides was developed on the same modified system and lowest detection limits were achieved. The proposed analytical procedure was applied to natural water samples spiked with the selected pesticides to validate the developed stripping procedure. ©2011 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.