An electroactive nanocomposite based on g -C 3 N 4 and bioinspired synthesized reduced graphene oxide grafted Ag nanoparticles for p -nitrophenol detection

We report the p -nitrophenol electrochemical sensor using a new nanocomposite composed of bioinspired synthesised ‘reduced graphene oxide grafted Ag nanoparticles and g -C 3 N 4 ‘(AgNPs-rGO) TL ’. Here, it has been prepared by simultaneous reduction of AgNO 3 and graphene oxide (GO) in one pot using only a phytoextract i. e. Ocimum sanctum leaf extract as a ‘green reducer’. It is a straightforward, green and cost-effective approach. Further, it blends with graphitic carbon nitride to form a new nanocomposite (AgNPs-rGO) TL : g -C 3 N 4 for electrocatalytic sensing of toxic ‘ p -nitrophenol’ in the aqueous medium at −0.62 V. The synthesized nanocomposite was well-characterized by FTIR, XPS, XRD, SEM with EDX and TEM. Phyto-synthesized (AgNPs-rGO) TL synergistically enhances the properties of g -C 3 N 4 such as surface coverage area and electron transportation. The newly fabricated sensor exhibited negligible influence of common interferences and performed well in a very wide linearity in two calibration ranges (0.015 μM–846 μM and 846 μM–8001 μM) and detection limit (15 nM). The real-world sample analysis was well performed.