A highly sensitive electrochemical Cd(II) detector based on an ion-imprinted modified glassy carbon electrode

A sensitive electrochemical sensor based on ion-imprinted chitosan–graphene (CS/rGO-IIP) nanocomposites has been developed for the determination of Cd(II). The surface morphology of CS/rGO-IIP was studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the structure was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Differential pulse anodic solution voltammetry (DPASV) was used to detect Cd(II) to evaluate the performance of the electrochemical sensor. The detection limit of the CS/rGO-IIP electrode for Cd(II) was 0.2 μg L−1, and the linear range obtained for Cd(II) was 1–160 μg L−1, which was found to be below the limits set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The developed sensor has excellent anti-interference, reproducibility and stability, and can be applied for the determination of Cd(II) in a real water environment. This work offers a viable method for ion imprinting electrochemical interface construction and electrochemical sensing.