Determination of peracetic acid by an Ag nanoparticle decorated Cu-organic framework modified electrode

Peracetic acid (PAA) is commonly used as the strong oxidant in many areas. However, high concentration of PAA can be harmful to health of people. The quantitative determination of PAA is of great significance. Here, a metal–organic framework (MOF) is introduced into the electrochemical sensor for PAA detection. The influence of common transition metal centers on the performance of electrochemical detection of PAA was investigated and the results showed the Cu-1,3,5-trimesic acid (Cu-BTC) was the best original MOF. Ag nanoparticles were decorated in the Cu-BTC to further improve the electrocatalytical activity. The concentration of the added Ag salt and the quality of the reducing agent tannic acid (TA) had a great impact on the performance. The final sample optimized for the synthesis conditions was named as Ag NPs/Cu-BTC. The electrochemical sensor based on Ag NPs/Cu-BTC/GCE was fabricated for sensing PAA with a wide linear range (0.1–5000 μM), low detection limit (0.046 μM, S/N = 3) and high sensitivity (1013.4 μA mM−1 cm−2). The water stability of Ag NPs/Cu-BTC and the anti-interference ability of the sensor were good. The electrochemical sensor could be applied in detecting the concentration of PAA in the commercially available peracetic acid, suggesting the practical application value.