Efficient detection of hazardous catechol and hydroquinone with MOF-rGO modified carbon paste electrode

Reduced graphite oxide (rGO) was incorporated into a metal organic framework (MOF) MIL-101(Cr) for the modification of carbon paste electrode. Taking advantages of the large surface area of MOF and the electrical conductivity of rGO, the resulted electrodes exhibited high sensitivity and reliability in the simultaneous electrochemical identification and quantification of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ). Specifically, in the mixture solution of catechol and hydroquinone (constant concentration of an analyte), the linear response ranges for catechol and hydroquinone were 10–1400 μM and 4–1000 μM, and detection limits were 4 μM and 0.66 μM (S/N = 3) for individual catechol and hydroquinone, respectively. Therefore, the relatively easy fabrication of modified CPE and its fascinating reliability towards HQ and CC detection may simulate more research interest in the applications of MIL-101(Cr)-rGO composites for electrochemical sensors.