Magister Scientiae - MSc (Chemistry) / Electrochemical platforms were developed based on pencil graphite electrodes (PGEs) modified
electrochemically with reduced graphene oxide metal nanoparticles (ERGO–metalNPs) composite
and used for the high-sensitivity determination of Bisphenol A (BPA) in water samples.
Synergistic effects of both reduced Graphene Oxide sheets and metal nanoparticles on the
performance of the pencil graphite electrode (PGE) were demonstrated in the oxidation of BPA by
differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A solution of graphene oxide (GO) 1 mg mL-1 and 15 ppm
of metal stock solutions (1,000 mg L-1, atomic absorption standard solution) (Antimony or Gold)
was prepared and after sonication deposited onto pencil graphite electrodes by cyclic voltammetry
reduction. Different characterization techniques such as FT-IR, HR-SEM, XRD and Raman
spectroscopy were used to characterize the GO and ERGO–metalNPs. Parameters that influence
the electroanalytical response of the ERGO–SbNPs and ERGO–AuNPs such as, pH, deposition
time, deposition potential, purging time were investigated and optimized. Well-defined,
reproducible peaks with detection limits of 0.0125 μM and 0.062 μM were obtained for BPA using
ERGO–SbNPs and ERGO–AuNPs respectively. The rGO-metalNPs–PGE was used for the
quantification of BPA in tap water sample and proved to be suitable for the detection of BPA
below USEPA prescribed drinking water standards of 0.087 μM.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/6336 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Ghaffari, Nastaran |
| Contributors | Iwuoha, Emmanuel, Jahed, Nazeem |
| Publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | University of the Western Cape |
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