Electrochemical preparation of a novel type of C-dots/ZrO2 nanocomposite onto glassy carbon electrode for detection of organophosphorus pesticide

A selective, sensitive novel electrochemical sensor for detection of methyl parathion on the preparation of a carbon dots (C-dots)/ZrO2 nanocomposite was developed. The C-dots/ZrO2 nanocomposite was fabricated using electrochemical deposition onto a glassy carbon electrode and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The optimum parameters such as effect of pH, accumulation time, accumulation potential, scan rate, effect of amount of C-dots and effect of amount of ZrO2 were investigated. The C-dots/ZrO2 modified glassy carbon electrode allowed rapid, selective determination of methyl parathion in rice samples by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The stripping response was highly linear over the methyl parathion concentrations ranging from 0.2 ng mL(-1) to 48 ng mL(-1), with a detection limit of 0.056 ng mL(-1). This novel electrochemical nanocomposite-based electrochemical sensor was successfully applied for the detection of methyl parathion in rice samples. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.