A sensitive and selective nitrite sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles and sulfonated graphene

We describe a highly sensitive and selective amperometric sensor for the determination of nitrite. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with a composite made from gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and sulfonated graphene (SG). The modified electrode displays excellent electrocatalytic activity in terms of nitrite oxidation by giving much higher peak currents (at even lower oxidation overpotential) than those found for the bare electrode, the AuNPs-modified electrode, and the SG-modified electrode. The sensor has a linear response in the 10 μM to 3.96 mM concentration range, a very good detection sensitivity (45.44 μA mM−1), and a lower detection limit of 0.2 μM of nitrite. Most common ions and many environmental organic pollutants do not interfere. The sensor was successfully applied to the determination of nitrite in water samples, and the results were found to be consistent with the values obtained by spectrophotometry.