Electrodeposited Silver Dendrites on Laser-Induced Graphene for Electrochemical Detection of Nitrate with Tunable Sensor Properties

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a promising technology enabling cost-effective, scalable, and high surface area 3D-porous graphene electrodes for electrochemical applications. Nitrate in water bodies is a harmful contaminant to humans and the ecosystems. Its detection by electrochemical sensors is challenging due to the interference from nitrite. Herein, for the first time, a LIG-based electrochemical sensor modified with electrodeposited silver dendrites (EdAg/LIG) without using surfactants is proposed for the detection of nitrate with tunable selectivity and sensitivity. The modified electrode surface is extensively characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods and the underlying mechanism for the formation of dendrites is substantiated. The developed EdAg dendrites/LIG electrode shows excellent sensing properties for the detection of nitrate at pH 2. The interference with nitrite in acidic media is eliminated by implementing a novel strategy to shift the working pH of the electrode to 7. The achieved sensor properties at both pH values surpass other LIG-based sensors with limit of detection of 0.46 at pH 2 and 5.53 mu m at pH 7. The developed sensor also shows good recovery characteristics in mineral, tap, and groundwater across a wide range of concentrations and also demonstrates good stability under temperature fluctuations and deformations. In this work, authors report for the first-time electrodeposition of silver dendrites on laser induced graphene for the electrochemical detection of nitrate. The issue of interference with nitrite in acidic media is mitigated by operating at neutral pH values without compromising on the sensing properties and paves the way for tunable electrochemical sensor properties. image