Development of CuFe₂O₄ microspheres/carbon sheets composite materials as a sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of bisphenol A

A composite material based on CuFe-ZIF-derived CuFe₂O₄ nano-microspheres grown in situ and well-ordered on carbon sheets (CS) was prepared and applied for highly effective determination of bisphenol A (BPA). The composite material possessed inherently high redox activity due to the presence of both Cu and Fe ions with various oxidation states (Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ and Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺), high specific surface area, uniform distribution of Cu and Fe ions, and a robust framework imparted by its precursor CuFe-ZIF. This led to increased active sites for electrochemical reactions, improved electron transfer efficiency, and structural integrity during electrochemical cycling. Furthermore, combining CS with CuFe₂O₄ not only provided a large surface area to support well-ordered CuFe₂O₄ nano-microspheres without aggregation, but also enhanced the conductivity and mechanical stability of the CuFe₂O₄/CS composite. This results in synergistic effects that enhanced the overall performance of the composite material. In addition, both copper and iron are relatively non-toxic and abundant, making CuFe₂O₄/CS safe and cost-effective for large-scale applications. Consequently, the CuFe₂O₄/CS-modified electrode shows highly efficient electrochemical sensing properties with a wider detection range of 0.009-168 µM and lower detection limit of 0.0027 µM (S/N = 3) compared with most reported BPA sensors. It also has an optimized current at pH 7 which is convenient for real world applications. This CuFe₂O₄/CS modified electrode as a highly sensitive electrochemical platform can be applied to monitor BPA concentrations in bottled water with good recovery (97.2-102.2%).