A novel microbial-Bioelectrochemical sensor for the detection of n-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone in wastewater

We report the detection of volatile organic compound 1-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone (CHP), in a bioelectrochemical system inoculated with Escherichia coli and supplemented with redox mediator 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (2-HNQ), using a functionalized carbon nanotube-coated screen-printed electrode (CNT-SPE) modified with –COOH and -NH2 functional groups. Addition of CHP decreased current output of the bioelectrochemical system, thus enabling rapid detection of CHP concentration. Under optimal conditions, the H2N-CNT-SPE was the best performing and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 mg L−1 was achieved. The proposed sensor showed low interference from other inorganic and organic components. These results outline a viable strategy for detecting organic contaminants in environmental monitoring applications.