Development of a novel silver nanoparticle-polyvinylpyrrolidone-Fe2O3 nanocomposite-modified electrode for highly sensitive imidacloprid detection
摘要
The growing use of neonicotinoid pesticides in agriculture presents significant risks to water resources and environment, along with negative health effects. This study demonstrates that the synergistic coupling of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) anchored to ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) provides a unique nonenzymatic platform for Imidacloprid (IMI) sensing. The construction of the electrochemical sensor and its performance for IMI detection were investigated using morphological, spectroscopic, and electrochemical techniques. Compared to the unmodified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), the Ag@PVP/Fe2O3-modified GCE demonstrated superior electroactive surface area, improved electrical conductivity, and enhanced sensitivity for IMI detection. The electrocatalytic analysis revealed irreversible diffusion-controlled kinetics, involving the transfer of four electrons and four protons during the electro-reduction process. The amperometric sensing experiments showed a lower detection limit of 0.412 μM and an outstanding sensitivity of 0.46 μAμM−1cm−2. The exceptional sensing performance of the ternary nanocomposite is likely attributed to the synergistic interaction among its three individual components. Additionally, the sensor exhibited high selectivity in the presence of organic and inorganic interfering substances, remarkable reproducibility, repeatability, and storage stability, all accompanied by quite acceptable relative standard deviation (RSD). Finally, the currently developed sensing system can offer a promising alternative for detecting several target analytes in sensing studies.
Graphical Abstract