Silver doped dodecahedral metal-organic framework anchored RGO nanosheets for nanomolar quantification of priority toxic pollutant in aquatic environment

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2022-11, Vol.922, p.166180, Article 166180
• Main Authors: Sebastian, Neethu, Yu, Wan-Chin, Balram, Deepak, Noman, Muhammad Tayyab, Amor, Nesrine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic environment; Ascorbic acid; Chemical sensors; Electrochemical sensor; Graphene; Hazardous areas; Metal-organic frameworks; MOF; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanosheets; Nitrophenol; Pollutants; Raman spectroscopy; Reduced graphene oxide; Reproducibility; Sensors; Silver; Stability criteria; Water sampling; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Zeolites; ZIF-67
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.166180

Detection of hazardous environmental pollutants to maintain safety is a significant concern worldwide. In this work, we developed a reliable and sensitive electrochemical sensor for the effective detection of a priority toxic pollutant, 4-nitrophenol (4NP), in the aquatic environment. A ternary nanocomposite was sonochemically prepared by anchoring silver nanoparticles doped rhombic dodecahedral zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets. We employed a solvothermal method in the preparation of ZIF-67, and the graphene oxide prepared by the Hummer’s method was chemically reduced using ascorbic acid. Important characterization techniques including XRD, SEM, elemental mapping, TEM, XPS, BET, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and EIS were used for evaluating properties of the synthesized nanomaterials. The prepared porous ternary nanocomposite evinced outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards 4NP determination, and the developed 4NP sensor showcased a very low detection limit of 0.3 nM and high sensitivity of 65.49 μAμM−1 cm−2. Furthermore, significant performance criterions, including stability, reproducibility, anti-interference, and repeatability were examined to prove the reliability of the proposed sensor in 4NP quantification. The practical feasibility of the developed 4NP sensor was also evaluated by carrying out experiments with river water, lake water, and underground water samples. [Display omitted] •Highly sensitive and reliable detection of priority toxic pollutant 4-nitrophenol using novel nanocomposite.•Ag decorated rhombic dodecahedral ZIF-67 nanoparticles were anchored on RGO nanosheets.•This is the first work that reports 4-nitrophenol detection using Ag doped ZIF-67 nanomaterial.•Detection limit in nanomolar range and ultra-high sensitivity was exhibited by Ag@ZIF-67/RGO/SPCE.•Real sample analysis was conducted in river water, lake water, and underground water samples.