Green Route Synthesis of Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Performance for Atrazine Detection

Abstract

Developing sustainable strategies for monitoring pesticide contamination is vital to protecting water quality and human health. In the present work, cobalt oxide nanoparticles were synthesized via a green route using the aqueous leaf extract of Bauhinia purpurea L. as a bioreducing agent. A series of analytical techniques, including XRD, TGA, SEM, UV-Vis, XPS, and FTIR, was employed to verify the structural, morphological, optical, and surface chemical characteristics of the nanoparticles. The resulting Cobalt oxide nanoparticles exhibited strong electrocatalytic behavior and were utilized for the electrochemical determination of atrazine.Computational docking studies supported experimental observations by indicating stable interactions between atrazine molecules and the cobalt oxide surface, predominantly through hydrogen bonding. The fabricated sensor demonstrated a linear response from 20-200 µM with a detection limit of 11.8 µM and good selectivity toward atrazine. Application to distilled and wastewater samples demonstrated satisfactory recovery, confirming its practical utility. The study highlights an environmentally benign approach for nanoparticle fabrication and presents an effective platform for rapid atrazine monitoring in aqueous environments.