Nanosensing Platform for the Electrochemical Determination of Fungicide Carbendazim: Soil and Water Sample Analysis

High-performing sensors are critical tools for the trace-level detection of hazardous chemicals, ensuring public health and environmental safety. In the present study, we report an electrochemical sensor based on synergistic properties of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles for sensitive and selective detection of fungicide carbendazim (CRZ). The morphological and elemental composition of the MWCNTs/TiO2 nano-composite was determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive Xray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, the electrochemical studies were executed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques. The hybrid composite electrode effectively enhanced the electrochemical performance in the detection of CRZ, with a lower limit of detection of 3.49 nM within the linear range 0.1-10.0 & micro;M. Under optimized conditions, such as pH and accumulation time, spiked samples of soil and water were analyzed demonstrating high accuracy and good recovery. The fabricated electrode proposed had the least interference from the excipients, proving its practical applicability. The electrode was cost-effective ($0.12 USD/electrode) and time saving (require 30 min fabrication time), simple and easily renewable making it unique from other proposed sensors. The stability and wide range of pertinency of the fabricated electrode suggested it as a promising sensor platform for detecting CRZ.