A simple architecture of cellulose microfiber/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for the electrochemical determination of nitrobenzene in sewage water

Biomaterial nano architectures have become an eminent building block in bio-electronics. A green nano composite of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported cellulose microfiber (CMF) was used in an electrochemical assay of nitrobenzene (NB). The synthesized composite was characterized via Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectra, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy and EDX spectroscopy. The CMF-RGO film modified glassy carbon electrode showed promising electrocatalytic activity towards NB reduction in terms of high sensitivity (733.8 A mu A mM(-1) cm(-2)), broad dynamic range (0.2-927.7 A mu M), and a decent limit of detection (88 nM). On top of this, the composite was used to analyze the water samples collected from river, sewage, and pond aquarium with satisfactory results. In addition, the fabricated sensor matrix offers good durability and appreciable reproducibility. Electrocatalytic performance of the constructed assay was comparable with the reported NB sensors matrices.