Sensor development of 1,2 Dichlorobenzene based on polypyrole/Cu-doped ZnO (PPY/CZO) nanocomposite embedded silver electrode and their antimicrobial studies

Abstract

Cu-doped ZnO nanopowders and their composites of polypyrole (PPY)/CZO were prepared by a gel combustion method and an in-situ polymerization process, respectively. The synthesized nanocomposite are characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR, and TGA studies. Then the PPY/CZO/AgE nanocomposites were used for potential application in chemical sensing by easy and reliable I–V method, where 1,2 dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) is considered as a model target compound. The chemical sensor performances are exhibited the higher sensitivity, good stability, and repeatability of the sensor enhanced significantly using PPY/CZO/AgE of thin-film with conducting binders on silver electrodes (AgE; Surface area: 0.0216 cm2). The calibration plot is linear over the large dynamic range (0.35 nM ∼ 3.5 mM), where the sensitivity (∼2.702 μA mM−1 cm−2) and detection limit (∼0.34 nM) is calculated based on signal/noise ratio (∼3N/S) in short response time. Finally, it is concluded that the structural and optical characteristics could be encompassed to a broad-scale in PPY/CZO/AgE composites and efficient chemical sensor applications for environmental fields. Simultaneously PPY/CZO composites was also evaluated against Gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and antibiotics (Amoxicillin) using the agar plate.