Trace level detection of 2,4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid and 4-cholrophenoxy acetic acid pesticides at iron-doped WO3 intercalated carbon matrix modified electrode

The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture has led to significant environmental problems as well as complications with human health and hygiene. The current research focuses on developing the modified carbon-based nanostructured materials from Fe-doped tungsten oxide (WO3) as a modified sensor for the analysis of synthetic growth regulators (SGR), 2,4-dichloro phenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), and 4-cholrophenoxy acetic acid (4-CPAA) by employing cyclic voltammetry (CV). The full characterizations of Fe-doped WO3 nanoparticles were carried out to understand their morphology, dopant concentration, atomic distribution, and valence of each element. The electro-catalytic behavior, conducting, and large surface area of the tungsten oxide were responsible for the improvement of voltammetric signals compared to nascent CPE. The effect of pH was investigated at pH 3.0 for 4-CPAA, while pH 6.0 was used for 2,4-D. From the experimental data generated electro−kinetic and activation aspects were estimated by the impact of sweep rate and temperature. The square wave voltammetric (SWV) technique was employed to investigate 2,4-D with a lesser LOD of 6.28 ×10-8 M (2,4-D), while that for 4-CPAA, the detection limit was 9.23 ×10-8 M (4-CPAA). The developed method can be useful for the future analysis of various SGRs.