Determination of Imidacloprid Based on the Development of a Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified with Reduced Graphene Oxide and Manganese (II) Phthalocyanine

An electrochemical sensor of glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide and manganese (II) phthalocyanine (GCE/rGO/MnPc) was developed as an effective alternative in the determination of imidacloprid in honey samples. The peak current variation obtained with the proposed sensor, in the presence of imidacloprid, was higher compared to the bare GCE. The followed experimental conditions were optimized: reduced graphene oxide concentration (2.0 mg mL(-1)), manganese (II) phthalocyanine concentration (1.5 mg mL(-1)), electrolyte pH (6.5) and electrolyte concentration (1,50 mol L-1). The study also showed that the process of reduction of imidacloprid is irreversible and diffusion-controlled, with a single reduction peak of approximately -0.9 V corresponding to the reduction of the nitro group (-NO2) present in the structure, generating a derived from hydroxylamine, in a process involving about four electrons. The determination of imidacloprid in honey samples exhibited recovery values within the EPA range (between 90.5 and 101.9 %). The proposed sensor GCE/rGO/MnPc can be used as an effective alternative in the determination of imidacloprid in honey samples.