Detection of trace Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions via porous activated carbon supported palladium nanoparticles modified electrodes using SWASV

It is still of great challenge to develop green and efficient electrochemical sensors for detection of trace heavy metal ions. In this work, an efficient method was demonstrated for fabricating Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) uniformly decorated porous activated carbon (PAC). The Pd NPs were in-situ reduced on PAC ([email protected]) via a KOH activation and thermal reduction method. The morphology investigation suggests that the [email protected] possess typical interconnected micropores and mesopores architecture with Pd NPs evenly dispersed on the surface of PAC. The [email protected] modified glassy carbon electrode ([email protected]/GCE) was used for the detection of trace Cd2+, Pb2+ and Cu2+ ions by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). It exhibited excellent sensitive and selective detection of heavy metal ions simultaneously and individually, together with good anti-interference, reproducibility, repeatability and stability under the same experimental conditions. Moreover, the [email protected]/GCE was utilized to detect heavy metal ions in real sample species, indicating potential application in real environment detection. Porous structure and Pd NPs make [email protected] excellent electrochemical activity, its interconnected micropores and mesopores architecture accelerate the mass diffusion and facilitate the deposition-stripping process of heavy metal ions. Pd NPs provide more active sites and improved conductivity significantly. The present investigation provides a green and feasible method to assemble efficient electrochemical sensors and electrocatalytic devices.