Journal Article

Development of CuFe2O4 microspheres/carbon sheets composite materials as a sensitive electrochemical sensor for determination of bisphenol A

O’Halloran, Kevin P., Yang, Guixin, Ma, Huiyuan, Pang, Haijun, Wang, Ying, Wang, Xinming, Chu, Mingyue, Wang, Yingji, Xin, Jianjiao, Jin, Zhongxin

2024

Overview

A composite material based on CuFe-ZIF-derived CuFe 2 O 4 nano-microspheres grown in situ and well-ordered on carbon sheets (CS) was prepared and applied for highly effective determination of bisphenol A (BPA). The composite material possessed inherently high redox activity due to the presence of both Cu and Fe ions with various oxidation states (Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ and Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺), high specific surface area, uniform distribution of Cu and Fe ions, and a robust framework imparted by its precursor CuFe-ZIF. This led to increased active sites for electrochemical reactions, improved electron transfer efficiency, and structural integrity during electrochemical cycling. Furthermore, combining CS with CuFe 2 O 4 not only provided a large surface area to support well-ordered CuFe₂O₄ nano-microspheres without aggregation, but also enhanced the conductivity and mechanical stability of the CuFe₂O₄/CS composite. This results in synergistic effects that enhanced the overall performance of the composite material. In addition, both copper and iron are relatively non-toxic and abundant, making CuFe₂O₄/CS safe and cost-effective for large-scale applications. Consequently, the CuFe 2 O 4 /CS-modified electrode shows highly efficient electrochemical sensing properties with a wider detection range of 0.009-168 µM and lower detection limit of 0.0027 µM (S/ N  = 3) compared with most reported BPA sensors. It also has an optimized current at pH 7 which is convenient for real world applications. This CuFe 2 O 4 /CS modified electrode as a highly sensitive electrochemical platform can be applied to monitor BPA concentrations in bottled water with good recovery (97.2-102.2%). Graphical Abstract

• Publisher: Springer Vienna,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Analytical Chemistry / Bisphenol A / Carbon / Carbon fibers / Characterization and Evaluation of Materials / Chemical reactions / Chemical sensors / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Composite materials / Copper / Copper ferrite / Electric properties / Electrodes / Electron transfer / Iron / Microengineering / Microspheres / Morphology / Nanochemistry / Nanotechnology / Network topologies / Oxidation / Particle size / Sensors / Spectrum analysis / Structural integrity / Surface area / Synergistic effect