Trace detection of carbaryl pesticide in food samples via a highly efficient and novel g-C3N4/MXene-based electrochemical sensor

This study reports the synthesis of a novel g-C 3 N 4 /MXene nanocomposite for the sensitive electrochemical detection of carbaryl pesticide. The synthesized material was characterized by SEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD. Electrochemical studies of the g-C 3 N 4 /MXene nanocomposite were performed via cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which demonstrated excellent charge transfer characteristics. Operational parameters such as the scan rate (optimized at 120 mV/s), Britton–Robinson (BR) buffer pH (5.0), and potential window (−0.4 to 0.4 V) were systematically optimized to ensure maximum sensitivity. Under these optimized conditions, the sensor exhibited a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.07 μM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.23 μM respectively. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor was successfully applied to the analysis of carbaryl residues in real food matrices, including potato and tomato samples, achieving recovery rates within acceptable analytical ranges. These results suggest that the g-C 3 N 4 /MXene-modified electrode has strong potential as a rapid, cost-effective, and sensitive platform for routine pesticide monitoring in agricultural products.