Direct Electrodeposition to Fabricate a Graphene Nanosheet-Modified Electrode for Imidacloprid Determination

In this study, a film of electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) deposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared through the pulse potential method (PPM). The as-prepared film was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The ERGO film was applied for the first time to develop a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for imidacloprid determination. Results revealed that the ERGO film can effectively increase response towards imidacloprid reduction by significantly enhancing the reduction peak currents and decreasing the over potential of imidacloprid. Under optimum conditions, the modified electrode showed a linear voltammetric response to imidacloprid at concentrations ranging from 3.0 x 10(-8) mol L-1 to 1.1 x 10(-6) mol L-1, with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-8) mol L-1. The developed electrode is potentially a good candidate for imidacloprid determination. The proposed method provides a good recovery rate of imidacloprid in spiked practical samples, such as lake water and tap water.