Preparation of a highly sensitive and selective modified electrode for imidacloprid determination based on a nanocomposite cetyltrimethylammonium bromide–functionalized graphene oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotubes

An electrochemical sensor based on cetyltrimethylammonium bromide–functionalized graphene oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube (CTAB-GO/MWCNTs)nanocomposite–modified glassy carbon electrodes was designed for use in rapid detection of imidacloprid (IMD) in agricultural products. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to elucidate the surface features of CTAB-GO/MWCNT nanocomposites. Electrochemical studies were performed using two methods, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under the optimized experimental conditions, the peak current responds linearly with concentration (1.0–13.0 μM) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.144 μM. The sensor has good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. The sensor was used to detect IMD in actual samples, and the recovery rate was 97.7– 101.5%, which proved the feasibility of the determination method and provided an effective way for efficient monitoring of IMD in agriculture.