Construction of a Copper Bismuthate/Graphene Nanocomposite for Electrochemical Detection of Catechol

Binary metal oxides with carbon nanocomposites have received extensive attention as research hotspots in the electrochemistry field owing to their tunable properties and superior stability. This work illustrates the development of a facile sonochemical strategy for the synthesis of a copper bismuthate/graphene (GR) nanocomposite-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (CBO/GR/SPCE) for the electrochemical detection of catechol (CT). The formation of an as-prepared CBO/GR nanocomposite was comprehensively characterized. The electrochemical behavior of the CBO/ GR/SPCE toward CT was investigated by voltammetry and amperometry techniques. The fabricated CBO/GR/SPCE manifests an excellent electro-catalytic performance toward CT with a lower peak potential and a higher current value compared to those of CBO/SPCE, GR/SPCE, and bare SPCE. It is attributed to enhanced electro-catalytic activity, synergetic effects, and good active sites of the CBO/GR nanocomposite. Under the electrochemical condition, the CBO/GR/SPCE displayed a wide linear sensing range, trace-level detection limit, acceptable sensitivity, and excellent selectivity. Furthermore, our proposed CBO/GR electrode was employed successfully for CT detection in water samples.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a facile sonochemical strategy for synthesizing a copper bismuthate/graphene nanocomposite-modified screen-printed carbon electrode for the electrochemical detection of catechol. The fabricated nanocomposite exhibits excellent electro-catalytic performance and good selectivity.