Multiplexed Anodic Stripping Voltammetry Detection of Heavy Metals in Water Using Nanocomposites Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes Integrated With a 3D-Printed Flow Cell

Guo Zhao; Thien-Toan Tran; Sidharth Modha; Mohammed Sedki; Nosang V Myung; David Jassby; Ashok Mulchandani

doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.815805

Multiplexed Anodic Stripping Voltammetry Detection of Heavy Metals in Water Using Nanocomposites Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes Integrated With a 3D-Printed Flow Cell

Front Chem. 2022 Feb 17:10:815805. doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.815805. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Guo Zhao^{1

2}, Thien-Toan Tran³, Sidharth Modha³, Mohammed Sedki⁴, Nosang V Myung¹, David Jassby⁵, Ashok Mulchandani^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.
² College of Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
³ Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.
⁴ Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.
⁵ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
⁶ Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States.

Abstract

In this study, we present multiplexed anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) detection of heavy metal ions (HMIs)-As(III), Cd(II), and Pb(II)-using a homemade electrochemical cell consisting of dual working, reference and counter screen-printed electrodes (SPE) on polyimide substrate integrated with a 3D-printed flow cell. Working and counter electrodes were fabricated by the screen-printing of graphite paste while the Ag/AgCl paste was screen-printed as a reference electrode (Ag/AgCl quasi-reference electrode). The working electrodes were modified with (BiO)₂CO₃-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-Nafion [(BiO)₂CO₃-rGO-Nafion] and Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄MNPs) decorated Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)-ionic liquid (IL) (Fe₃O₄-Au-IL) nanocomposites separately to enhance HMIs sensing. Electrochemical detection was achieved using square wave ASV technique. The desired structure of the flow electrochemical cell was optimized by the computational fluid dynamic (CFD). Different experimental parameters for stripping analysis of HMIs were optimized including deposition time, deposition potential and flow rate. The linear range of calibration curves with the sensing nanocomposites modified SPE for the three metal ions was from 0-50 μg/L. The limits of detection (S/N = 3) were estimated to be 2.4 μg/L for As(III), 1.2 μg/L for Pb(II) and 0.8 μg/L for Cd(II). Furthermore, the homemade flow anodic stripping sensor platform was used to detect HMIs in simulated river water with a 95-101% recovery, indicating high selectivity and accuracy and great potential for applicability even in complex matrices.

Keywords: 3D printing; anodic stripping voltammetry; flow injection; heavy metals detection; screen printed electrode.