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Electrochemical determination of fenuron herbicide in environmental water samples by electro-reduced graphene oxide sensor

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Abstract

Fenuron (FEN) is a herbicide that acts as a weed growing inhibitor in crops. Because of its persistence and good solubility in water, its presence in water bodies is emerging as a concern for aquatic species. Herein, we propose a simple development of an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sensor for the monitoring of FEN in environmental water samples. The rGO modified electrode was produced by cyclic voltammetry in a graphene oxide (GO) dispersion under constant stirring. The successfully synthesized rGO showed improved conductivity, electroactive surface area, and faster charge transfer compared to GO and glassy carbon (GC). Scanning electron microscopy images exhibited more frequent wrinkles in the morphology of the reduced form of the carbonaceous material, which is related to a defect-richer structure, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical determination of FEN showed the best performance in a 0.1 mol L−1 NaCl solution (pH = 2.5). Optimized parameters in differential pulse voltammetry of FEN resulted in two linear ranges (0.4–12.0 µmol L−1 and 20.0 to 50.0 µmol L−1) with high sensitivities of 6.83 and 1.90 µA µmol−1 L, respectively, and a low LOD of 0.34 µmol L−1. Stability, reproducibility, and interference tests proved the reliability of rGO in sensing FEN in real samples. Spiked tap and canal water samples returned recoveries close to 100%, exhibiting no statistically significant difference when compared to UV-Vis method by an average paired t-test, attesting the viability of the rGO modified electrode as a promising sensor of FEN in environmental water samples.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to CAPES (financial code 001), FAPEMIG (APQ-01207-17), FINEP, and CNPq for financial support. We also thank RELAM multiuser laboratory from the Institute of Chemistry at the Federal University of Uberlândia for providing the equipment and technical support for experiments involving scanning electron microscopy and EDS. This work was partially supported by the Brazilian Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) in Carbon Nanomaterials.

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  1. Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, 38408-902, Brazil

    Pedro H. S. Borges & Edson Nossol

  2. Department of Chemistry, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland

    Carmel B. Breslin

  3. Kathleen Lonsdale Institute, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland

    Carmel B. Breslin

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  1. Pedro H. S. Borges
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PB: wrote the main manuscript text and prepared figures. CB and EN: performed the supervision and edition. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Borges, P.H.S., Breslin, C.B. & Nossol, E. Electrochemical determination of fenuron herbicide in environmental water samples by electro-reduced graphene oxide sensor. J Appl Electrochem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-024-02073-4

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