Development of modified pyrophyllite carbon paste electrode for carbendazim detection

Abstract

This study aims to design the pyrophyllite-adapted carbon paste electrode (pCPE) and test it for potential use in wastewater purification systems. Structural characterization of pure pyrophyllite ore and mechanically modified pyrophyllite in mortar and pestle has been followed by XRD, SEM, PSA, and FTIR. Electrochemical characteristics were studied by cyclic voltammetry of pyrophyllite CPE in sulfuric acid and potassium ferrocyanide, as redox model compounds. Delamination, gliding, and folding of the layers and a decrease in particle and crystallite size have been observed, leading to the excellent electrocatalytic activity of pCPE. The developed pCPE has numerous benefits such as a simple preparation method, rapid response, and good sensitivity. The oxidation peak of carbendazim appears in Britton-Robinson buffer solutions (pH 4) at +0.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The developed method is linear in the concentration range of 3.2–29.2 ng cm−3, with r = 0.999 and the limit of detection of 1.9 ng cm−3.