Highly porous nickel molybdate@graphene oxide nanocomposite for the ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of environmental toxic pollutant catechol

The development of a highly sensitive and reproducible electrochemical catechol sensor for monitoring catechol is needed for the environment and human health care. In this study, ultrasonication method was utilized as an easy, low-cost, simple approach for the preparation of highly porous nickel molybdate@graphene oxide (NiMoO4@GO) nanocomposite and was first applied for the electrochemical detection of catechol. The morphology and structural properties were characterized by using various physicochemical techniques such as XRD, Raman, N-2 adsorption-desorption, FESEM, HRTEM, and EDX. The electrochemical properties of nanocomposite were studied by impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry which exhibits extraordinary electrical conductivity and superior electrocatalytic performance toward catechol oxidation. The linear sweep voltammetry results were found with a wide linear range of 0.01-273.0 mu M, low detection limit of 1.59 nM, low quantification limit of 8.73 nM and sensitivity of 46.394 mu A mu M-1 cm(-2) with appreciable selectivity. This suggests that the nanocomposite electrode with porous structural features a feasible approach to Improve the real-time performance of electrochemical determination of catechol in environmental samples.