ANA AMEDA, LUEDA KULLA, MAJLINDA VASJARI, NEVILA BROLI
KEYWORDS : Carbon paste electrode, Gold nanoparticles, Reduced Graphene Oxide, Square Wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (SWASV), Mercury Hg(II).
Abstract
Heavy Metals (HM) are identified as critical environmental pollutants, characterized by their extreme toxicity, ability to accumulate in ecosystems, and lack of degradability. Mercury, in its ionic form, is one of the most toxic pollutants, posing severe risks to the immune system, nervous system, and cellular structures. The electrochemical method for detecting heavy metals has attracted considerable attention due to its ability to produce accurate results, perform analyses faster, and achieve higher sensitivity levels. The main goal of this study is to develop a carbon-based sensor, suitable for the determination of mercury Hg (II). Here, based on the advantages of graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles, we developed the carbon sensor modified with -rGO@Au. The obtained nanomaterial (rGo@Au) is fully characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). The Electrochemical characterization of the CPE/rGOAu sensor was performed via Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Square Wave Anodic Stripping voltammetry (SWASV) was used as a typical technique for the determination of Hg (II). The oxidation peak currents of Hg (II) were proportional to concentration in the range of 0.66-3.11 ppm with a limit of detection of 0.22 ppm. In pursuit of practical applications, the sensor underwent additional testing to measure Hg(II) concentration in water samples.