Three-dimensional PEDOT composite based electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of chlorophenol.

Abstract In this work, electrode based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) was employed for the fabrication of an efficient sensor for 4-chloro-3-methylphenol (PCMC) detection. To improve the dispersity and increase the specific surface area of PEDOT, core-shell structured UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT was designed by in-situ oxidation method using Zr-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH 2) as template. In addition, to achieve a further increased active surface area and electron transfer rate of the modified materials, graphene aerogel (GA) was utilized as substrate material for the assembly of UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT. Then, the obtained UiO-66-NH 2 @ PEDOT/GA modified electrode was employed as an electrochemical sensor for PCMC detection. Experiment parameters, such as pH value of acetate buffer solution and accumulation time, were optimized in detail. Under the optimized experiment condition, the UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT/GA electrode showed a good linear range of 0.6–18 μM, as well as a low detection limit of 0.2 μM (S/N = 3). The UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT/GA electrode was applied toward the detection of PCMC in tap water with good recovery. All these features suggest that the prepared PEDOT-based composite could serve as a promising sensing platform for monitoring water pollutants. Graphical abstract 3D UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT/GA modified electrode as an electrochemical sensor was employed for 4-chloro-3-methylphenol detection. Unlabelled Image Highlights • A novel 3D UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT/GA composite was obtained through facial approach. • UiO-66-NH 2 @PEDOT/GA electrode was applied for the electrochemical detection of PCMC. • Low detection limit and wide linear range for PCMC were obtained. • The method can detect PCMC in tap water with good recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]