Abstract
In this study, an efficient electrochemical sensor for the highly sensitive detection of benzoic acid (BA) is developed using silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) obtained by two different methods: the green synthesis method (G-Ag) and the chemical synthesis method (C-Ag). Linden flower extract is prepared and used for the biosynthesis of Ag NPs. Sodium borohydride, NaBH(4), is used as a reducing agent in chemical synthesis. Ag NPs are characterized by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectrometry. According to the XRD results, the crystal sizes for G-Ag and C-Ag are calculated to be 24.07 and 5.91 nm, respectively. G-Ag and C-Ag NP-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) are used as electrochemical methods to determine BA. The limits of detection of G-Ag and C-Ag NP-modified GCEs are calculated as 1.67 mM limit of quantification and 10 mM, respectively. The linear ranges of GCEs modified with nanomaterials are determined as 2.40-8.01 mM for C-Ag and 4.84-14.66 mM for G-Ag. The study is significant in that the NPs obtained by the biological synthesis method showed as good activity as the particles synthesized by the chemical method.