Electrochemical Sensor Based on ZnFe2O4/RGO Nanocomposite for Ultrasensitive Detection of Hydrazine in Real Samples

Somayeh Tajik; Mohammad Bagher Askari; Sayed Ali Ahmadi; Fraiba Garkani Nejad; Zahra Dourandish; Razieh Razavi; Hadi Beitollahi; Antonio Di Bartolomeo

doi:10.3390/nano12030491

Electrochemical Sensor Based on ZnFe₂O₄/RGO Nanocomposite for Ultrasensitive Detection of Hydrazine in Real Samples

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022 Jan 29;12(3):491. doi: 10.3390/nano12030491.

Authors

Somayeh Tajik¹, Mohammad Bagher Askari², Sayed Ali Ahmadi³, Fraiba Garkani Nejad⁴, Zahra Dourandish⁴, Razieh Razavi⁵, Hadi Beitollahi², Antonio Di Bartolomeo⁶

Affiliations

¹ Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman P.O. Box 76169-13555, Iran.
² Environment Department, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman P.O. Box 76318-85356, Iran.
³ Department of Chemistry, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman P.O. Box 763151-31167, Iran.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman P.O. Box 76169-13439, Iran.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Jiroft, Jiroft P.O. Box 78671-55311, Iran.
⁶ Department of Physics "E.R. Caianaiello", University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy.

Abstract

We have developed a highly sensitive sensor of ZnFe₂O₄/reduced graphene oxide (ZnFe₂O₄/RGO) nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of hydrazine, fabricated by a simple hydrothermal protocol. Subsequently, a screen-printed electrode (SPE) surface was modified with the proposed nanocomposite (ZnFe₂O₄/RGO/SPE), and revealed an admirable electrocatalytic capacity for hydrazine oxidation. The ZnFe₂O₄/RGO/SPE sensor could selectively determine micromolar hydrazine concentrations. The as-produced sensor demonstrated excellent ability to detect hydrazine due to the synergistic impacts of the unique electrocatalytic capacity of ZnFe₂O₄ plus the potent physicochemical features of RGO such as manifold catalytic sites, great area-normalized edge-plane structures, high conductivity, and large surface area. The hydrazine detection using differential pulse voltammetry exhibited a broad linear dynamic range (0.03-610.0 µM) with a low limit of detection (0.01 µM).

Keywords: ZnFe2O4/RGO nanocomposite; hydrazine; screen printed electrode; voltammetry.

Grants and funding

ORSA218189/University of Salerno