Electrochemical molecularly imprinted polymer sensor for ultrasensitive indoxacarb detection by tin disulfide quantum dots/carbon nitride/multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a nanocomposite

Unsuitable use of agricultural pesticides has caused excessive pollution of the environment. Therefore, it is very important to identify the remaining contamination in environmental samples. Indoxacarb (IDC) as an oxadiazine fungicide use on large part of corps. In this work, we reported voltammetric sensor-based molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) film on a tin disulfide quantum dots-carbon nitride-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MIP@SnS2 QDs/pg-C3N4/MWCNTs) nanocomposite for ultrasensitive detection of IDC. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (CV and DPV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), elemental mapping used for characterization of the proposed electrode. Under optimum conditions, the current response for IDC was obtained in the linear range of 20.0 nmol L−1 to 10.0 µmol L−1 and a detection limit of 7.1 nmol L−1. Using this MIP sensor, IDC has been determined in samples of Zayandeh Rood river water and apple. Several advantages of the proposed sensor were demonstrated, including its sensitivity, selectivity, and simplicity. [Display omitted] •The detection of indoxacarb was achieved using a newly developed MIP sensor.•A sol-gel method was used to imprint indoxacarb on the SnS2 QDs/pg-C3N4/MWCNTs.•A 7.1 nM detection limit was found for the electrochemical MIP sensor.•The indoxacarb concentration was measured in the real samples using the MIP sensor.