Application of superfine ZrO2 nanoparticle decorated arc-graphene as sensitive electrochemical sensor for carbendazim detection

Accurate and rapid monitoring of carbendazim (CBZ) residues is crucial for ensuring food safety and environmental health. Herein, the electrochemical detection capability of superfine ZrO 2 nanoparticles (s-ZrO 2 NPs, ∼2.57 nm) for CBZ is thoroughly investigated for the first time. These s-ZrO 2 NPs are uniformly immobilized on the surface of arc-graphene (AG), which is favorable both to the complete exposure of active sites and to the mutual charge transport. The optimal s-ZrO 2 /AG/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibits significantly enhanced electrochemical sensing performance toward CBZ, particularly in terms of a low detection limit (0.83 nM), outperforming many previously reported transition metal oxide-based or noble metal-based sensors. In addition, the fabricated sensor demonstrates a wide linear detection range (5 nM ∼ 10.4 μM), excellent stability (over 2000 cyclic voltammetry cycles), and remarkable reproducibility (over 30 days). Moreover, it also effectively quantifies CBZ in simulated real environments. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that electrons spontaneously transfer from s-ZrO 2 to AG in the hybrid structure, which enables s-ZrO 2 to rapidly transfer the electrons generated during the two-electron oxidation process of CBZ, thereby achieving efficient detection.