Synthesis of Iron(III) Tetracarboxyl-Phthalocyanine Sensitized Nano TiO2 Composite as Photoelectrochemical Hydroquinone Sensor

In this work, a simple photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was developed using anatase TiO2 nanoparticles sensitized with iron(ffl) tetracarboxyl phthalocyanine (FeC4Pc@TiO 2 ) for detection of hydroquinone (HQ). The FeC 4 Pc@TiO 2 composite shows excellent photoelectrochemical activity under visible-light illumination compared with pure anatase TiO 2 nanoparticles and pure FeC4Pc. After adding HQ, the photocurrent of the FeC 4 Pc@TiO 2 -modified indium tin oxide electrode (FeC 4 Pc@TiO 2 /ITO) was significantly enhanced, which was attributed to the life improvement of the electron-hole pairs. The sensor was developed based on the enhanced photocurrent response signal. The photocurrent response signal is linear with the concentration of HQ ranging from 0.2 μM to 78 μM, with a detection limit of 0.078 μM (S/N=3) under the optimal conditions. The PEC sensor showed high sensitivity, low cost, and wide linearity range and was successfully employed in the analysis of real water samples, with recoveries between 99.7%-101.7%.