A sensitive and low toxicity electrochemical sensor for 2,4-dichlorophenol based on the nanocomposite of carbon dots, hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and chitosan

• Published in: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical Vol. 224; pp. 241 - 247
• Main Authors: Yu, Lanlan, Yue, Xiu, Yang, Ran, Jing, Shasha, Qu, Lingbo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.03.2016
• Subjects: 2,4-Dichlorophenol; Ammonium bromides; Carbon; Carbon dots; Electrochemical sensor; Environment-friendly sensor; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Oxidation; Self assembly; Sensors; Toxicity; Carbon dots; 2,4-Dichlorophenol; Electrochemical sensor; Environment-friendly sensor
• ISSN: 0925-4005; 1873-3077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2015.10.035

•Nanocomposite based carbon dots, CTAB and chitosan were prepared and characterized.•A novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of 2,4-DCP was built.•The proposed sensor was more simple, low toxicity and environment-friendly. A novel and sensitive electrochemical sensor for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) based on a nanocomposite of carbon dots (CDs), hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and chitosan (CS) was constructed through electrostatic self-assembly technology. The nanocomposite of CDs–CTAB–CS introduced a favorable access for the electron transfer and exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of 2,4-DCP. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for the quantitative determination of 2,4-DCP. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the oxidation peak currents of 2,4-DCP were proportional to its concentrations in the range from 0.04 to 8.0μmolL−1 with a detection limit as 0.01μmolL−1. The newly developed method was successfully applied for the determination of 2,4-DCP in waste water with satisfactory recoveries. This CDs–CTAB–CS modified electrochemical sensor provides an operational access to design simpler, low toxicity and environment-friendly sensors based on carbon dots.