Electrochemical detection of catechol using biochar/copper oxide nanoparticles layered at carbon paste electrode

Catechol (CA) is dihydroxy benzene isomer that reacts with biomolecules and causes damage to human health. Therefore, an electrochemical sensor for catechol is developed based on novel biochar/copper oxide nanoparticles (BC/Cu) modified carbon paste electrode. The characterization of BC/Cu is performed by UV spectroscopy, FTIR, and SEM-EDS. The modified electrode can detect CA in a wide range from 10–100 μM in PBS buffer with a limit of detection of 1.03 μM. The selectivity of the electrode was tested with common interfering molecules, and stability was estimated in terms of days which showed excellent selectivity and long-term stability. Therefore, this sensing material can be effectively used to detect CA by electrochemical technique.