Construction of two-dimensional molybdenum carbide based electrocatalyst for real-time monitoring of parathion-ethyl

Parathion-ethyl (PE) is an organophosphate insecticide frequently used in modern agriculture to enhance food quality. The extensive usage of PE causes ecological damage to the environment and a fatal threat to human health. Therefore, it is essential to develop practical tools for assessing the PE content in aquatic samples. In this study, a flexible electrochemical sensor based on molybdenum carbide (MoC) is developed for the sensitive and selective detection of PE. The MoC properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, elemental mapping, and energy-dispersive spectrometry. The electrochemical sensor based on MoC shows excellent electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of PE compared to the unmodified electrode. The improved electrocatalytic activity results from the two-dimensional MoC structure, good conductivity, large surface area and numerous active sites. The proposed electrochemical sensor exhibits an ultralow limit of detection (0.004 mu M), a wide linear range (0.02-43 mu M), and striking sensitivity (10 mu A uM(-1) cm(-2)). Besides, the MoC based electrochemical sensor demonstrates good stability, excellent anti-interference property, high reproducibility, storage stability and good suitability in aquatic samples. These results indicate that the proposed MoC based sensor can provide a promising strategy to monitor the content of PE in the environmental samples with high efficiency and low interference.

Automated summary

A flexible electrochemical sensor based on molybdenum carbide (MoC) was developed for sensitive and selective detection of PE, showing excellent electrocatalytic activity. The sensor demonstrated ultralow detection limit, wide linear range, and high sensitivity for the reduction of PE in aquatic samples, making it a promising strategy for efficient monitoring of PE content in environmental samples.