Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB)-ionic liquid composite modified electrode for sensitive cyclic voltammetric determination of bisphenol A

A sensitive electrochemical sensor for determining bisphenol A(BPA) was designed. The sensor was a glassy carbon electrode modified with the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and the ionic liquid 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate. The ability of the new sensor to measure BPA was investigated in cyclic voltammetry experiments. Under optimized conditions, the sensor gave a linear response range for BPA of 2.19×10−7―3.28×10−5 mol/L and a detection limit of 7.31×10−8 mol/L(S/N=3). BPA could be determined with a lower detection limit, a wider linear range, and more sensitivity using the sensor than using other electrochemical sensors or high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The new sensor was used to determine BPA in tap water with recoveries of 97.5%―98.7% and a relative standard deviation <2.9%. The results show that the sensor can be used to determine trace BPA concentrations in tap water.