Electrochemical monitoring of thiamethoxam in Zea mays and Phaseolus Vulgaris L. plants using chitosan stabilized silver nanoparticles electrode

•Chitosan stabilized silver nanoparticles was prepared and caracterized.•Electroreduction of thiamethoxam was studied at CHI-AgNPs/CPE electrode.•Thiamethoxam determination was performed at CHI-AgNPs/CPE electrode.•Thiamethoxam can be detected with wide linear range and a low detection limit.•The interferences and analytical applications were successfully realized. An electrochemical sensing platform made of chitosan stabilized silver nanoparticles was synthesized as a modifier of carbon paste electrode for the determination of thiamethoxam. The obtained electrode denoted CHI-AgNPs/CPE exhibited the best electron transport characteristics for thiamethoxam electroreduction with respect to other electrodes studied including CHI/CPE and CPE. The electroanalytical performances were assessed by square wave voltammetry. The calculated limit of detection and quantification were 9.32 × 10−7 mol L − 1 and 3.10 × 10−6 mol L − 1, respectively, with a wide linear range of 4.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−3 Mol L − 1. Therefore, the proposed electroanalytical procedure was successfully used to determine thiamethoxam insecticide in Zea mays and Phaseolus Vulgaris L. plants, yielding satisfactory results.