Electrochemical detection of profenofos in water using a UiO-67 metal organic framework with graphene oxide composite†

Profenofos substantially enhances the productivity of agricultural growth; however, it poses adverse ill effects on humans due to residual profenofos presence in water, resulting in severe contamination. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to develop a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor that can detect trace levels of profenofos in different kinds of water samples with enhanced accuracy. In this context, a detection strategy predicated upon the prescribed threshold of profenofos pesticide has been delineated. A UiO-67 metal–organic framework (MOF)/graphene oxide (GO) composite was synthesized via a solvothermal method and characterized using X-ray diffractometry, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The resultant sensor exhibited the capability to recognize profenofos across the detection range of 10.0 to 500.0 μM, with a notably low detection limit (LOD) of 0.09 μM and a high sensitivity of 1.8 × 10⁻³ μA μM⁻¹ using the amperometric method. Importantly, the sensor manifested commendable performance attributes, encompassing favorable repeatability (RSD: 0.5%), resistance to interference (5%), and exceptional recovery rates (98.82–108.89%) when applied to drinking water, groundwater, and agricultural irrigation water samples. The integration of UiO-67 MOF with GO enhanced the sensitivity of the fabricated electrode by providing abundant active sites for profenofos interaction. This innovative methodology holds potential for alleviating the challenges associated with profenofos contamination, presenting a reliable and effective approach for detection and quantification in varied environmental contexts.