In this work, activated carbon (AC) materials, prepared from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste bottles were used as the sensing platform for the indirect detection of carbofuran. The morphology and surface properties of the PET-derived AC (PET-AC) were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning/transmission electron microscopy (FE-SEM/TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical activity of the PET-AC modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) (PET-AC/GCE) was measured by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. The enhanced surface area and desirable porosities of PET-AC are attributed for the superior electrocatalytic activity on the detection of carbofuran phenol, where, the proposed sensor shows low detection limit (0.03 µM) and remarkable sensitivity (0.11 µA µM−1 cm−2). The PET-AC/GCE holds high selectivity towards potentially interfering species. It also provides desirable stability, repeatability and reproducibility on detection of carbofuran phenol. Furthermore, the proposed sensor is utilized for the detection of carbofuran phenol in real sample applications. The above mentioned unique properties and desirable electrochemical performances suggest that the PET-derived AC is the most suitable carbonaceous materials for cost-effective and non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor.
This work proposes the optimal conditions for the preparation of activated carbons from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with good surface area and yield. The PET-based activated carbon was prepared using a chemical activation technique employing sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4). Different preparation conditions involving impregnation ratio, activation temperature and activation time were investigated to evaluate their effects on both surface area and yield. The central composite design (CCD) approach was adopted to determine the effects of preparation conditions on responses. Based on the CCD, quadratic models for both surface area and yield were developed. The significant factors for each experimental design response were identified from the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The optimum conditions for PET-based activated carbon preparation were obtained by using an impregnation ratio of 37.63%, activation temperature of 600ºC, and activation time of 30 min, which resulted in 537 m 2 /g of surface area and a 12.57% yield.
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