Electrospun carbon nanofiber modified electrodes for stripping voltammetry.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon nanofibers (CNFs) offer facile processing, high carbon yield, and mechanical strength.
• Glassy carbon (GC) electrodes are widely used but can be improved for trace metal detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel CNF-modified GC electrode coated with Nafion for simultaneous heavy metal ion determination.
• To assess the performance of the CNF/Nafion/GC electrode for trace levels of lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a CNF/Nafion modified GC electrode.
• Simultaneous and individual determination of Pb2+ and Cd2+ using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV).
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for characterizing electrode interface properties.

Main Results:

• The CNF/Nafion/GC electrode yielded well-defined stripping voltammograms for both individual and simultaneous detection of Pb2+ and Cd2+.
• An 8-fold increase in sensitivity for lead detection was observed compared to a bare GC electrode.
• Optimized detection limits were as low as 0.9 nM for Pb2+ and 1.5 nM for Cd2+.

Conclusions:

• The CNF/Nafion/GC electrode is a promising material for sensitive and simultaneous determination of trace heavy metal ions.
• The ratio of CNF/Nafion significantly impacts electrode performance, highlighting the importance of interface engineering.
• This modified electrode offers a sensitive and efficient approach for environmental monitoring of heavy metals.