Plastic antibodies integrated with graphene quantum dots for electrochemical sensing of bisphenol-A in real samples
Abstract
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a hazardous chemical used in plastic manufacturing units. BPA is recognized as an endocrine disruptor that can act as environmental estrogen and affect the activity of natural endogenous hormones. BPA is both genotoxic and cytotoxic; hence, developing a sensor for its recognition and quantification is essential. In this study, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based electrochemical sensor was developed for the analysis of Bisphenol-A (BPA). The fabrication of BPA/PEDOT/GQDs/AuNPs/GCE was carried out by electrodepositing the gold (Au) nanoparticles followed by electropolymerization employing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and in-situ graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The characterization was performed using numerous techniques such as FESEM, XRD, UV–vis, TEM, FTIR, and electrochemical techniques. The linear range for the detection of Bisphenol-A was 1 nM to 50 µM with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.19 nM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.64 nM. The proposed method delivered selective, sensitive, and reusable electrodes for the detection of BPA. The recovery was found to be 95–112% and the fabricated electrode was successfully utilized for the analysis of BPA in the real samples.