Advantages and limitations of functionalized graphene-based electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring

Torrinha Á.; Oliveira T.M.B.F.; Ribeiro F.W.P.; Morais S.; Correia A.N.; Lima-Neto P. · Functionalized Nanomaterial-Based Electrochemical Sensors: Principles, Fabrication Methods, and Applications (2022) · DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823788-5.00009-0

Resumen

Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and heavy metals are pollutants that can cause damage to ecosystems and human health, requiring appropriate analytical tools to monitor them from fM to µM. The advent of nanotechnology sparked the development of electrochemical sensors that gather sensitivity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in a single platform. Great effort is driven to design functionalized graphene (FG) with new (in)organic functionalities to amplify and incorporate impressive sensory conditions in terms of signal intensity and stability, reaction selectivity, electroactive area, catalytic effect, and biocompatibility. Even after advances with FG-based electrochemical sensors, the environmental monitoring of emerging micropollutants remain challenging due to their low concentrations, coexistence with other electroactive species, limited multiplexed sensing, and the growing need for onsite and real-time analysis. This chapter compiles the recent advances attained with FG-based electrochemical sensors for environmental monitoring of different micropollutants, emphasizing the main advantages and limitations. The overall analytical performance and trends of these devices are also reviewed and discussed.