Antifouling electrochemical sensor-based on mesoporous silica film for imidacloprid detection in Traditional Chinese medicine

[Display omitted] An antifouling electrochemical sensor based on MSF/ErGO/GCE for IMI determination was developed. Owing to the electrostatic preconcentration of MSF and electrocatalytic activity of ErGO toward IMI, this proposed electrochemical sensor exhibits excellent performance for IMI detection in two wide linear ranges with high sensitivity and low detection limit. Furthermore, IMI direct detection in untreated carthamus tinctorius has been achieved. •MSF growth and GO reduction were occur simultaneously during EASA process.•IMI was electrostatic preconcentration in MSF and ErGO exhibits electrocatalytic activity toward IMI.•The small size of nanochannles of MSF endows it antifouling ability.•Quantitative determination of IMI in untreated carthamus tinctorius was achieved based on antifouling MSF/ErGO/GCE. The performance of electrochemical sensors in complicated samples is confined by electrode fouling and the development of antifouling electrode interface is vital for improving their sensing performance. Herein, an efficient antifouling electrochemical sensor was constructed based on mesoporous silica film (MSF) coating modified graphene oxide/glass carbon electrode (GO/GCE). MSF coating was directly grown on GO/GCE by electroassisted self-assembly (EASA) method within a few seconds and GO was reduced to electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO) simultaneously. Owing to the electrocatalytic activity of ErGO and electrostatic pre-enrichment of MSF toward imidacloprid (IMI), the as-obtained MSF/ErGO/GCE exhibits excellent response to IMI in two wide concentration ranges (1.0 μg mL-1 50 μg mL-1 50 μg mL-1–400 μg mL-1) with a low limit of detection of 0.3 μg mL-1(1.1 bvM)Furthermore, the antifouling electrochemical sensor possesses the capability of direct determination IMI in untreated carthamus tinctorius (a Traditional Chinese medicine, TCM).