An environmentally relevant solid-state sensor for the trace detection of triclopyr herbicide

Abstract

A novel solid-contact potentiometric sensor was developed for the selective and trace-level detection of triclopyr (Tcpy), an environmentally persistent pyridine-based herbicide. The sensor comprises a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane incorporating tetradecylammonium bromide (TDAB) as the ion-exchanger and o-nitrophenyl octyl ether (o-NPOE) as the plasticizer, supported on a glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The introduction of rGO significantly enhanced the sensor's electron transfer kinetics, signal stability, and interfacial capacitance, enabling a near-Nernstian response of −55.7 mV per decade over a linear concentration range of 3.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−3 M, with a detection limit of 7.6 × 10−7 M. The sensor exhibited a fast response time (<5 s), excellent selectivity against structurally related herbicides and common anions, and outstanding potential stability, with a drift as low as 18.3 μV s−1. Its analytical performance was validated through the quantification of triclopyr in spiked environmental water samples and a commercial pesticide formulation (Garlon 3A), with recovery rates ranging from 96% to 102% and results statistically comparable to HPLC measurements. This work demonstrates a cost-effective, reliable, and field-deployable platform for monitoring triclopyr contamination, highlighting the promising role of rGO-based solid-contact ion-selective electrodes in environmental sensing.

Graphical abstract: An environmentally relevant solid-state sensor for the trace detection of triclopyr herbicide

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 giu 2025
Accepted
30 giu 2025
First published
15 lug 2025

Anal. Methods, 2025, Advance Article

An environmentally relevant solid-state sensor for the trace detection of triclopyr herbicide

A. H. Kamel and H. S. M. Abd-Rabboh, Anal. Methods, 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5AY00916B

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