Nanostructured silver tungstate rods decorated on graphitic carbon nitride: an effective electrocatalyst for electrochemical sensing of carcinogenic organic pollutant metol

Abstract

Monitoring organic pollutants in aquatic systems is crucial to safeguarding environmental safety and protecting public health. In this study, we synthesized an Ag₂WO₄-decorated graphitic carbon nitride (Ag₂WO₄/g-CN (1 : 1)) composite and employed it as an effective electrocatalyst for the highly efficient electrochemical detection of metol (MTL). Structural and compositional characterization studies confirmed the effective integration of Ag₂WO₄ with g-CN, resulting in enhanced electrical conductivity, an increased surface area, and greater availability of active sites. The Ag₂WO₄/g-CN (1 : 1)-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) demonstrated an extensive linear detection range (0.005–1060 μM) and a low detection limit of 5.6 nM by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis. The sensor exhibited remarkable selectivity, reproducibility, and long-term stability, yielding reliable and satisfactory results in both river and tap water samples. These results indicate that the Ag₂WO₄/g-CN (1 : 1) composite is a promising electrochemical platform for the rapid and accurate detection of organic pollutants in environmental water systems.