Electrochemical analysis of parathion-ethyl using zirconium oxide–laponite nanocomposites-modified glassy carbon electrode

A simple, cost–effective electrode surface modified with a mixture of laponite clay and zirconium oxide (laponite–ZrO₂) gel nanocomposites has been developed for the detection of parathion-ethyl pesticide. Different composition ratios of laponite–ZrO₂ gel were used to modify the surface of glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The fabricated electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and attenuated total internal reflectance infrared spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were employed to investigate the modified laponite–ZrO₂ electrode toward the electrochemical oxidation of several organophosphate compounds. The obtained results showed that the laponite–ZrO₂ nanocomposites-modified GC electrodes have improved the sensitivity and selectivity of parathion-ethyl detection with a limit of detection as low as 1.6 ng mL⁻¹ in the linear range of 0–58.3 ng mL⁻¹ (R² = 0.994). Furthermore, the modified electrodes showed good stability at 71.6 ± 3.2 % after 14 days with the relative standard deviation of 4.36 % (n = 20).