Electrochemical deposition of bismuth on activated graphene-nafion composite for anodic stripping voltammetric determination of trace heavy metals

•The activated graphene was used to prepare modified glassy carbon electrode.•The activated graphene with KOH to introduce porosity has a unique structure.•Advantage of bismuth film and activated graphene was effectively combined.•We report a novel electrode for determination of heavy metal ions.•The proposed sensor was applied to detect trace heavy metal in real samples with satisfactory results. In this study, we report the first example of a bismuth film electrode plated in situ using activated graphene (AG). The AG was prepared through of process of chemical activation of graphene oxide (GO) with KOH to create pores. The composite electrode was enhanced as an electrochemical sensing platform to determine trace Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. The surface morphology of the AG-NA/Bi composite film modified electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of the AG-NA/Bi composite electrode were evaluated to examine the effects of experimental variables, such as deposition potential, deposition time, bismuth concentration, and stirring speed during pre-concentration, on the determination of trace metals in 0.1M acetate buffer solution (pH 4.5). Linear calibration curves ranged from 5 to 100μgL−1 for trace heavy metal ions. The detection limits were 0.57μgL−1 for Zn2+, 0.07μgL−1 for Cd2+, and 0.05μgL−1 for Pb2+ (S/N=3). The limits of detection achieved are much lower than the guideline for drinking water quality provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). The AG-NA/Bi composite film electrodes were successfully applied to analysis trace metals in real samples.