One-step facile synthesis of Nd2O3/ZnO nanostructures for an efficient selective 2,4-dinitrophenol sensor probe

In this approach, one-step Neodymium oxide codoped zinc oxide nanostructures (Nd₂O₃/ZnO NSs) were prepared by facile wet-chemical process in alkaline medium initially. The doped NSs were used to apply for the electrochemical detection of toxic 2,4-Dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) in real environmental samples. The doped Nd₂O₃/ZnO NSs were fully characterized by UV/Vis., FTIR, SEM, XEDS, XPS and XRD techniques in details. Nd₂O₃/ZnO NSs were deposited onto the flat glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with the help of 5% nafion as a chemical binder. The fabricated GCE (Nd₂O₃/ZnO/Nafion/GCE) probe has several advantages such as good sensitivity, lower detection limit, reliability, reproducibility, ease of integration, stability, range, and selectivity. The calibration plot was linear over the large concentration range of 1.0 pM–0.1 mM. The sensitivity and detection limit for the selective 2,4-DNP sensor were calculated as 28.481 nAnM⁻¹ cm⁻² and 0.33 pM respectively. Finally, this fabricated chemical sensor was introduced an efficient route for the ultra-sensitive detection of environmental pollutants, which can be used significantly and effectively in the large scale for safety of green environment.