Sensitive sensing of Hg(II) based on lattice B and surface F co-doped CeO2: Synergies of catalysis and adsorption brought by doping site engineering

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 1282; p. 341937
• Main Authors: Liu, Zheng, Xia, Xu, Ye, Chun-Jie, Xu, Huan, Wang, Qiu-Yu, Zheng, Zi-Yi, Li, Shan-Shan, Liu, Zhonggang, Guo, Zheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 22.11.2023
• Subjects: Adsorption; B and F co-doping CeO2; Hg(II); Redox; Transition metal oxides; Redox; Transition metal oxides; Hg(II); Adsorption; B and F co-doping CeO2
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341937

Transition metal oxides are widely used in the detection of heavy metal ions (HMIs), and the co-doping strategy that introducing a variety of different dopant atoms to modify them can obtain a better detection performance. However, there is very little research on the co-doped transition metal oxides by non-metallic elements for electrochemical detection. Herein, boron (B) and fluorine (F) co-doped CeO2 nanomaterial (BFC) is constructed to serve as the electrochemically sensitive interface for the detection of Hg(II). B and F affect the sensitivity of CeO2 to HMIs when they were introduced at different doping sites. Through a variety of characterization, it is proved that B is successfully doped into the lattice and F is doped on the surface of the material. Through the improvement of the catalytic properties and adsorption capacity of CeO2 by different doping sites, this B and F co-doped CeO2 exhibits excellent square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) current responses to Hg(II). Both the high sensitivity of 906.99 μA μM−1 cm−2 and the low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.006 μM are satisfactory. Besides, this BFC glassy carbon electrode (GCE) also has good anti-interference property, which has been successfully used in the detection of Hg(II) in actual water. This discovery provides a useful strategy for designing a variety of non-metallic co-doped transition metal oxides to construct trace heavy metal ion-sensitive interfaces. [Display omitted] •The co-doping strategy of B and F on CeO2 effectively improves the electroanalysis of Hg(II).•The effects of different doping sites on electroanalysis of Hg(II) are analyzed in detail.•The proportion of Ce3+ with high catalytic activity is increased due to lattice B doping.•The increased concentration of oxygen vacancies and the enhanced adsorption of Hg(II) is brought by surface F.•BFC realizes a highly sensitivity (906.99 μA μM−1 cm−2) for Hg(II) detection.