Ionic liquid-graphene hybrid nanosheets as an enhanced material for electrochemical determination of trinitrotoluene

Trinitrotoluene, usually known as TNT, is a kind of chemical explosive with hazardous and toxic effects on the environment and human health. Ever-increasing needs for a secure society and green environment essentially require the detection of TNT with rapidity, high sensitivity and low cost. In this article, ionic liquid-graphene hybrid nanosheets (IL-GNs) have been used as an enhanced material for rapidly electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT). IL-GNs were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed that IL has been effectively functionalized on the surface of GNs. Significantly, IL-GNs modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) showed 6.2 and 51.4-folds higher current signals for TNT reduction than IL-CNTs/GCE and bare GCE, respectively. Adsorptive stripping voltammetry (ASV) for the detection of TNT on IL-GNs exhibited a good linear range from 0.03 to 1.5 ppm with a detection limit of 4 ppb on the basis of the signal-to-noise characteristics (S/N=3). Moreover, IL-GNs/GCE exhibited good stability and reproducibility for the detection of TNT. And, IL-GNs based electrochemical detection platform was also successfully demonstrated for the detection of TNT in ground water, tap water, and lake water with satisfactory results.