Phenolic sensor development based on chromium oxide-decorated carbon nanotubes for environmental safety

Abstract

A nanocomposite (NC) composed of chromium(III)oxide nanomaterials decorated carbon nanotubes (Cr₂O₃-CNT NC) was prepared via a simple solution method with reducing agents in an alkaline medium. The Cr₂O₃-CNT NC was characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vs.) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XEDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The Cr₂O₃-CNT composite was deposited on a flat glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with conducting nafion (5%) binders to produce a sensor that exhibited fast response and high selectivity toward 4-methoxyphenol (4MP) in phosphate buffer phase at pH 7. Furthermore, the sensor performance parameters, including the sensitivity, lower detection range, reliability, and reproducibility, ease of integration, long-term stability, and selectivity were investigated in detail. The calibration plot was found to be linear in the concentration range of 0.01 nM-0.1 μM. The sensitivity and detection limit were calculated as 1.4768 μA cm^-2 μM^-1 and 0.06428 ± 0.0002 nM (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3), respectively. Thus, it was concluded that the proposed selective and efficient sensor represents a promising approach to effectively detect toxic phenolic compounds in the environment with acceptable and reliable results.

Keywords: 4-Methoxyphenol; Cr(2)O(3)–CNT nanocomposite; Environmental safety; Green synthesis; I–V method; Sensitivity.