Fabrication of nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor based on Zn@ZnO core-shell structures obtained via pulsed laser ablation for selective determination of hydroquinone

Herein, we fabricated a more sensitive nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for the selective determination of hydroquinone as a targeted pollutant at zinc@zinc oxide (Zn@ZnO) core-shell nanostructures. The nanostructured Zn@ZnO materials were produced using pulsed laser ablation in an aqueous medium without the use of any reducing agents or surfactants. The detailed structural, morphological, elemental composition, and electrochemical voltammetric analyses revealed a significant improvement in Zn@ZnO performance for selective hydroquinone detection. A broad linear calibration response was obtained as 10-90 mu M with high sensitivity of 0.5673 mu A mu M-1 cm(-2) and the low detection limit was 0.10443 mu M for detection of hydroquinone. The modified Zn@ZnO electrode's excellent electrochemical sensing performance was attributed to the accessibility of a high electrochemically active surface area (EASA = 0.00345 mu F/cm(2)) and an improved electron transfer rate. Stability and antiinterference tests were also carried out. A 100 fold increase in the concentration of common cations and anions (Na+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, and NO3-) did not affect the selective determination of HQ. As a result, the fabricated electrochemical sensor has a wide range of potential applications in environmental and biomedical science.

Automated summary

The study developed a more sensitive Zn@ZnO nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for the selective determination of hydroquinone, with high sensitivity and low detection limit. The modified Zn@ZnO electrode showed excellent electrochemical sensing performance and has a wide range of potential applications in environmental and biomedical science.