Nanoflowers on Microporous Graphene Electrodes as a Highly Sensitive and Low-Cost As(III) Electrochemical Sensor for Water Quality Monitoring
Mahatthanah Kosuvun,
Pobporn Danvirutai,
Daranee Hormdee,
Arnut Chaosakul,
Visanu Tanboonchuy,
Apirat Siritaratiwat,
Sirirat Anutrakulchai,
Amod Sharma,
Adisorn Tuantranont,
Chavis Srichan
Affiliations
Mahatthanah Kosuvun
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Pobporn Danvirutai
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Daranee Hormdee
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Arnut Chaosakul
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Visanu Tanboonchuy
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Apirat Siritaratiwat
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Sirirat Anutrakulchai
Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Amod Sharma
Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Adisorn Tuantranont
Graphene and Printed Electronics for Dual-Use Applications Research Division (GPERD), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Chavis Srichan
Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
In this work, we report a low-cost and highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for detecting As(III) in water. The sensor uses a 3D microporous graphene electrode with nanoflowers, which enriches the reactive surface area and thus enhances its sensitivity. The detection range achieved was 1–50 ppb, meeting the US-EPA cutoff criteria of 10 ppb. The sensor works by trapping As(III) ions using the interlayer dipole between Ni and graphene, reducing As(III), and transferring electrons to the nanoflowers. The nanoflowers then exchange charges with the graphene layer, producing a measurable current. Interference by other ions, such as Pb(II) and Cd(II), was found to be negligible. The proposed method has potential for use as a portable field sensor for monitoring water quality to control hazardous As(III) in human life.
