Screen-Printed Carbon Electrodes with Cationic Cyclodextrin Carbon Nanotubes and Ferrocenyl-Carnosine for Electrochemical Sensing of Hg(II)

Identifier:  imarina:9330682

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9330682

Authors:  Abate, Chiara; Neri, Giulia; Scala, Angela; Mineo, Placido Giuseppe; Fazio, Enza; Mazzaglia, Antonino; Fragoso, Alex; Giuffre, Ottavia; Foti, Claudia; Piperno, Anna

Abstract:
The study reports the use of nanoassembly based on cationic cyclodextrin carbon nanotubes (CNT-CDs) and ferrocenylcarnosine (FcCAR) for electrochemical sensing of Hg(II) in aqueous solution. β-cyclodextrins (CDs) were grafted onto CNTs by a click chemistry reaction between heptakis-(6-azido-6-deoxy)-β-cyclodextrin and alkyne-terminated CNTs. The cationic amine groups on the CD units were produced by the subsequent reduction of the residual nitrogen groups. The chemical composition and morphology of CNT-CDs were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. A N,N-dimethylformamide dispersion of CNT-CDs was cast on the surface of screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs), and the electrochemical response was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) using [Fe(CN)6]3- as the redox probe. The ability of SPCE/CNT-CD to significantly enhance the electroactive properties of the redox probe was combined with a suitable recognition element (FcCAR) for Hg(II). The electrochemical response of the CNT-CD/FcCAR nanoassembly was evaluated by CV and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The analytical performance of the Hg(II) sensor was evaluated by differential pulsed voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The oxidative peak current showed a linear concentration dependence in the range of 1-100 nM, with a sensitivity of 0.12 μA/nM, a limit of detection of 0.50 nM, and a limit of quantification of 1 nM.