Nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor based on CuO-TiO2 for sensitive and selective detection of methyl parathion pesticide in ground water

Detection of pesticides in ground water has become a very important and crucial research area due to the rapid expansion of agriculture and stringent environmental protection acts. In this paper, the as-prepared CuO-TiO2 hybrid nanocomposites were decorated on the glass carbon electrode as the nonenzymatic electrochemical nanosensor for the sensitive and selective detection of methyl parathion. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, showing that the modified electrode can be used for methyl parathion detection. Differential pulse voltammetry was applied to evaluate methyl parathion detection ability under optimized experimental conditions, and found the modified electrode can detect methyl parathion sensitively in a wide dynamic detection range from 0 ppb to 2000 ppb with a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 1.21 ppb. In addition, other interfering materials have no any influences on the detection of methyl parathion. Furthermore, the modified electrode has also been used for methyl parathion detection in the actual ground water samples, and showed efficient sensing ability. The electrochemical sensor developed would have great potentiality for methyl parathion sensing and provide new insights into the detection of other organophosphorous pesticides in the ground water.