Sustainable synthesis of hierarchical dysprosium vanadate 3D-micro flowers for electrochemical evaluation of organophosphate pesticide in food samples

In this paper, for the first time, a sustainable strategy for constructing the hierarchical architecture of dysprosium vanadate 3D microflowers (DyV MFs) for the electrochemical detection of the organophosphate insecticide fenitrothion (FNT) with high sensitivity is described. Using surfactant-assisted hydrothermal and annealing processes has simplified the synthesis of DyV MFs. DyV MFs are 10–20 μm wide. DyV MFs' hierarchical structure has hundreds of well-attached nano-petals that create a matured micro flower-like arrangement. The DyV MFs modified electrode demonstrated a significantly improved electrocatalytic performance in the detection of FNT with a low reduction potential (-0.47 V vs Ag/AgCl), high peak current responsiveness (-53.31 µA), and high sensitivity (14.2 µA µM−1 cm−2) compared to previously reported sensors. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of DyV MFs was primarily due to their 3D design and high surface area, which enabled a large number of active sites with a fast electron transfer rate, making them ideal for FNT detection. Under optimal conditions, the devised sensor performed well analytically, as shown by a low detection limit of 1.4 nM and substantial recovery results (∼99 %, (n = 3)) in real samples analysis. Moreover, the sustainability of the sensor was proved by its outstanding performance in repeatability (RSD 2.2 %), reproducibility, and long-term storage (greater than 25 days). In light of this, the present work demonstrates the chemically viable approach for designing the electrocatalyst with tailored architecture and opens up new avenues for developing sustainable materials.