RETRACTED ARTICLE: Performance ofgraphene-zinc oxide nanocomposite coated-glassy carbon electrode in the sensitivedetermination of para-nitrophenol

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-01, Vol.12 (1), p.117
• Main Authors: Dar, Riyaz Ahmad, Naikoo, Gowhar Ahmad, Srivastava, Ashwini Kumar, Hassan, Israr Ul, Karna, Shashi P, Giri, Lily, Shaikh, Ahamad M. H, Rezakazemi, Mashallah, Ahmed, Waqar
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; jpn
• Subjects: Carbon; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Graphene; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Potassium ferricyanide; Potassium hydroxide; Transmission electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction; Zinc oxide; Zinc oxides
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03495-2

Graphene: zinc oxide nanocomposite (GN:ZnO NC) platform was tried for the sensitive determination of para-nitrophenol (p-NP) through the electrochemical method. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by the modified wet-chemical method where in potassium hydroxide and zinc nitrate were used as precursors and starch as a stabilizing agent. A green and facile approach was applied to synthesize GN:ZnO NC in which glucose was employed as a reductant to reduce graphene-oxide to graphene in the presence of ZnO NPs. The synthesized NC was characterized using scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic techniques to examine the crystal phase, crystallinity, morphology, chemical composition and phase structure. GN:ZnO NC layer deposited over the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was initially probed for its electrochemical performance using the standard 1 mM K3[Fe(CN)6] model complex. GN:ZnO NC modified GCE was monitored based on p-NP concentration. An enhanced current response was observed in 0.1 M phosphate buffer of pH 6.8 for the determination of p-NP in a linear working range of 0.09 × 10–6 to 21.80 × 10–6 M with a lower detection limit of 8.8 × 10–9 M employing square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetric technique at a deposition-potential and deposition-time of − 1.0 V and 300 s, respectively. This electrochemical sensor displayed very high specificity for p-NP with no observed interference from some other possible interfering substances such as 2, 4-di-NP, ortho-NP, and meta-NP. The developed strategy was useful for sensitive detection of p-NP quantity in canals/rivers and ground H2O samples with good recoveries.