Synergistic Effect of Lithium Perchlorate and Sodium Hydroxide in the Preparation of Electrochemically Treated Pencil Graphite Electrodes for Selective and Sensitive Bisphenol A Detection in Water Samples

In this study, pencil graphite electrodes were activated electrochemically in the presence of different supporting electrolytes and used for the selective and sensitive determination of bisphenol A (BPA) in water samples. Synergistic effects of both LiClO4 and NaOH supporting electrolytes on the performance of the electrochemically treated pencil graphite electrode (ETPGE) were demonstrated in the oxidation of BPA. The electrochemical behavior of BPA on the ETPGE showed two irreversible oxidation peaks at 0.744 V and 0.877 V (vs. SCE). The detection limit was determined to be 3.1 nM. This single-use electrode is a very promising candidate to overcome the passivation problems arising from the oxidation of BPA. The analytical application of the ETPGE was performed in tap and river water samples.