NiCu nanoalloy embedded in N-doped porous carbon composite as superior electrochemical sensor for neonicotinoid determination

Enhancing catalytic activity is the key to develop electrochemical sensors for monitoring of neonicotinoid such as imidacloprid (IMI), thiamethoxam (THX) and dinotefuran (DNF). Herein, a MOF-derived octahedral NiCu nanoporous carbon composite with abundant N-doped (N/NiCu@C) was synthesized, which was exploited as electrochemical sensor for neonicotinoid determination. Integrating the synergistic effect of NiCu nanoalloy and the hierarchical porous carbon structure, the N/NiCu@C/GCE significantly promoted the dif f usion between electrolyte and active site. Meanwhile, the introduction of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) improved the hydro-philicity and dispersibility of N/NiCu@C, endowing superior electrocatalytic performance for IMI, TH X and DN F determination, with linear ranges of 0.5-60, 1-60 and 0.5-60 mu M, respectively, and detection limits of 0.017, 0.007 and 0.001 mu M. Additionally, the sensor can determine IMI, TH X and DNF in apples, tomatoes and potatoes with the recovery rate of 92.1-103.4% and RSD <= 4.7%. This study has explored a novel modified electrode material for construction of neonicotinoid sensors.

Automated summary

In this study, a novel electrochemical sensor was developed using a MOF-derived nanoporous carbon composite as the catalyst for the determination of neonicotinoids. The sensor exhibited a wide linear range and low detection limits, and could accurately detect the target compounds in fruits and vegetables.