Synergetic effect of ZnS: SnS2/reduced graphene oxide heterostructures for electrochemical detection of carcinogenic pollutant Maleic hydrazide

[Display omitted] •A novel ZnS: SnS adorned on RGO synthesized for MD detection.•The sensor possesses excellent selectivity, good stability, and a low LOD of 0.02 µM.•Our proposed electrode was successfully applied for the detection of MD in food and water sample. To ensure agricultural productivity, food security, and an ever-increasing demand for food safety, herbicides are employed to maintain unrestrained weed growth during crop production. Maleic hydrazide (MD) has become an important commonly consumed herbicide due to its various uses which include inhibition of sprouting in vegetables and stored root crops. But unfortunately, MD has genotoxic and carcinogenic effects, thus monitoring the presence of MD in food samples is of prime importance. Therefore, an electrochemical sensing platform based on heterojunctions of ZnS/SnS2/RGO was used for the electrochemical detection of MD. The composite ZnS:SnS2@RGO was synthesized via the hydrothermal method providing a large specific surface area, superior electrical conductivity, rich electrocatalytic sites, and a fast charge transfer rate. A good synergetic effect between the ZnS:SnS2 and RGO results in a wide linear range of 0.01–2359 µM, low LOD of 0.02 µM, and a good anti-interfering capability towards the detection of MD. In addition, good recovery results were obtained for the potato and water samples. Hence, the detection of MD was successfully demonstrated using ZnS:SnS2@RGO composite with superior stability and can be recommended for food monitoring applications.