Electrospun tin (IV) oxide nanofiber based electrochemical sensor for ultra-sensitive and selective detection of atrazine in water at trace levels.

Atrazine, a class 3a carcinogen, is a pesticide of chloro triazine family and is known to severely affect the human endocrine system upon consumption. The toxic effects of atrazine cause damage not only to the humans but also to animals and plants. In lieu of the detrimental effects of atrazine on environment, it is essential to develop a sensor platform capable of its detection in water. Here, we propose ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of atrazine using electrospun SnO2 nanofibers. In this study, the nanofibers have been characterized using Field Emission Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Using a label-free transduction, we have detected atrazine in fairly low concentrations, with the limit of detection being 0.9 zM and the sensitivity being 4.11 (µA/µM)/cm2, in a wide dynamic detection range varying from 1 zM to 1 µM. Furthermore, we have reported atrazine detection in trace levels in spiked real time water samples, which is an essential step in ensuring that the sensing platform can be deployed for practical applications. In addition to this, the sensor exhibits excellent selectivity, reasonable stability (when stored at 4 °C), and good interference-resistance.