Bimetallic Platinum–Nickel Nanoparticles Modified on the Screen-Printed Electrode for Highly Sensitive Urea Determination
Shun Lu, Qingmei Wang, Ling Fang, Xingqun Zheng, Fengjun Yin, Hong Liu
Abstract
The accurate determination of urea in wastewater is crucial for environmental and health monitoring due to its potential to cause eutrophication. To address this, we proposed a simple and efficient method for synthesizing platinum–nickel alloyed nanoparticles (PtNi NPs) using a one-pot solvothermal approach using glucose as the reducing agent for urea determination. Experimental results demonstrated that PtNi NPs exhibit abundant active sites that facilitate urea electrooxidation (UEO). Taking advantage of this, we developed a novel enzymatic-free PtNi NPs modified screen-printed electrode for electrochemical urea sensing. Then, the electrochemical performance of the as-fabricated sensor is evaluated through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements. The sensor demonstrates a wider linear range of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.1 \mu \text{M}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> –10 mM and a low limit of detection (LOD) of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.015 \mu \text{M}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}/{N}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> = 3). The excellent performance allows for the sensor’s application in diluted tap water with satisfactory outcomes. The improved electrocatalytic UEO performance of the PtNi NPs contributes to their high activity, selectivity, and robust stability. Furthermore, this study provides a versatile platform for determining other contaminants in wastewater treatment processes.