Development of carbon black-percolated GaInSn liquid metal networks for high-sensitive electrochemical detection of...

Diuron (DU), a widely used herbicide, is persistent and toxic, posing serious environmental and health risks. Therefore, the development of advanced sensor materials for the sensitive detection of DU is urgently needed. Here, we present a simple, cost-effective ultrasonic-assisted method to fabricate a high-performance nanocomposite of carbon black (CB) and Ga-liquid metal (GaInSn), which is utilized to modify a carbon electrode (CB/GaInSn/SPCE) for developing an electrochemical sensor for DU detection. The CB/GaInSn hybrid interface demonstrated superior electrocatalytic activity, driven by the synergistic integration of CB and GaInSn. Cyclic voltammetry measurements demonstrate surface-controlled electrochemical kinetics at the CB/GaInSn/SPCE, with a remarkably low detection limit of 0.006 μM. The sensor exhibits excellent anti-interference ability, with negligible interference from common coexisting species. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated high recovery rates in food and environmental monitoring. This work paves the way for the design of advanced electrochemical sensors based on liquid metal‑carbon composites for environmental and health-related analyses.