Abstract
Regardless of the adverse effects of Bisphenol A (BPA), its use in industry and in day-to-day life is increasing at a higher rate every year. In the present study, a simple and reliable chemical approach was used to develop an efficient BPA sensor based on a Co-Ru-based heterometallic supramolecular polymer (polyCoRu). Surface morphology and elemental analysis were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Furthermore, functional group analysis was accomplished by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). UV-vis spectroscopy was used to confirm the complexation in the ratio of 0.5:0.5:1 (metal 1/metal 2/ligand). Electrochemical characterization of the synthesized polyCoRu was conducted using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. The study identified two distinct linear dynamic ranges for the detection of BPA, 0.197-2.94 and 3.5-17.72 μM. The regression equation was utilized to determine the sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD), resulting in values of 0.6 μA cm-2 μM-1 and 0.02 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. The kinetics of BPA oxidation at the polyCoRu/GCE were investigated to evaluate the heterogeneous rate constant (k), charge transfer coefficient (α), and the number of electrons transferred during the oxidation and rate-determining step. A probable electrochemical reaction mechanism has been presented for further comprehending the phenomena occurring at the electrode surface. The practical applicability of the fabricated electrode was analyzed using tap water, resulting in a high percentage of recovery ranging from 96 to 105%. Furthermore, the reproducibility and stability data demonstrated the excellent performance of polyCoRu/GCE.