Abstract
Emerging sensor technology has led to develop high-performance sensors that satisfy most of the sensing parameters. However, still further advances are needed for sensors to achieve low detection, which is crucial for the detection of low concentration analytes present in the solution. Herein, we designed a sensor electrode with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized single polypyrrole nanowire (PpyNW) to detect arsenic (III) in water samples. The chronocoulometry and cyclic voltammetry methods were used to synthesize PpyNW and AuNPs, respectively. The morphological and elemental analysis of PpyNW functionalized with AuNPs was done using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. After fixing PpyNW on the electrode, the surface was functionalized with AuNPs. The sensing performance of the AuNPs/PpyNW sensor was monitored using anodic stripping voltammetry method. From the obtained data, the sensor showed high sensitivity of 63.13 mA/mM (i.e. 0.8417 mA/ppb) and an ultra-low detection limit of 0.005 mM (i.e. 0.37 ppb) during arsenic (III) detection in solution. Furthermore, we tested the sensing performance of our sensor in the laboratory-grade and adulterated tap water samples to determine arsenic (III) concentrations.