Graphene nanosheets and quantum dots: a smart material for electrochemical applications

A novel material for the electrochemical determination of endocrine disruptors using a composite based on graphene oxide modified with cadmium telluride quantum dots has been evaluated. The morphology, structure and electrochemical performance of the composite electrodes were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-visible absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, Raman spectra and cyclic voltammetry. The dynamic light scattering, transmission electronic microscopy and spectrophotometric measurements all showed good distribution of the quantum dots with a small particle size. The electrochemical measurements demonstrated the high performance of the composite response in the presence of a light source. Differential pulse voltammetry allowed the development of a method to determine 17β-estradiol levels in the range from 0.2 to 4.0 μmol L(-1) with a detection limit of 2.8 nmol L(-1) (0.76 μg L(-1)).