Pendimethalin imprinted electrochemical sensor based on CuO-Bi2MoO6 nanocomposite and pendimethalin detection in real samples

A novel approach is introduced for detection of pendimethalin (PEN) - one of the most widely utilized herbicides- based on the synergistic properties of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and a CuO-Bi2MoO6 (Cu-Bi-Mo) nanocomposite. The methodology combined the specific recognition capabilities of MIPs with the enhanced sensing performance provided by the advanced nanocomposite material. The synthesis of the Cu-Bi-Mo nanocomposite was initiated through the application of the sol-gel method. After the glassy carbon electrode’s modification with the Cu-Bi-Mo nanocomposite, PEN imprinted electrodes were fabricated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) with a dispersion containing 100.0 mM pyrrole (Py) monomer and 25.0 mM PEN molecule. The electrochemical sensor revealed a detection range of 1.0 × 10− 9 M to 1.0 × 10− 8 M PEN and achieved a detection limit (LOD) of 3.30 × 10− 10 M. To demonstrate its practical applicability, the electrochemical sensor was applied to drinking water and orange juice samples, yielding recovery results near 100%. This high recovery indicated the exceptional precision and reliability of the proposed electrochemical sensor. The electrochemical sensor’s performance was thoroughly assessed across several key metrics including selectivity, stability, and reproducibility.