A two-dimensional G-CoP/N,P-co-doped carbon nanowire electrode for the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol in domestic wastewater

Hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC) are important chemical raw materials in the modern industry, unfortunately, which are also high toxic phenolic pollutants. So how to achieve highly sensitive and selective determination HQ and CC is the challenge we face. In the present work, we report a facile strategy to obtain nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped glucose-derived carbon coated CoP nanowires (G-CoP/N,P-C NWs), in which nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) was as the chelating reagent, glucose was as carbon source, and the precursors were subsequently experienced carbonization and phosphorization process. G-CoP/N,P-C NWs can shorten the distance of the electron transport and expand the reaction area, showing the intriguing electronic conductivity and electrocatalytic abilities. An electrochemical phenolic sensor based on G-CoP/N,P-C NWs is fabricated. The as-prepared sensor showcases the good sensing performance for HQ and CC with comparative linearity ranges of 0.8-900 mu M (HQ) and 0.6-800 mu M (CC), low limits of detections (LODs) of 0.18 mu M (S/N = 3) and 0.12 mu M (S/N = 3) for HQ and CC, respectively. Notably, it also displays excellent practical application for the recognition of HQ and CC in the rain water, the tap water, the domestic wastewater and the lake water, which may be a promising candidate in environmental water monitoring and drinking water safety.

Automated summary

This study reports a facile strategy to obtain a new carbon material for highly sensitive and selective determination of HQ and CC. The material exhibits good electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic abilities, making it a promising candidate for environmental water monitoring and drinking water safety.