Integration of Bismuth sulfide/functionalized halloysite nanotube composite: An electrochemical tool for diethofencarb analysis

Diethofencarb (DFC) is a fungicide used in agricultural fields and it's overe use makes a negative impact in the real-time environment. Here in this work, a semi-conductive urchin like Bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) anchored with tubular structure functionalized halloysite nanotube (F-HNT) was hydrothermally synthesized and used for the electrochemical detection of DFC. Various analytical and microscopic techniques were used to analyze the structure, crystalline nature, and purity of the as-prepared F-HNT@Bi₂S₃. Moreover, the cyclic voltammetry technique was used to analyze the electrochemical studies of the F-HNT@Bi₂S₃ modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A high synergetic relationship between the Bi₂S₃ and F-HNT provides a large surface area and better detection of DFC. The amperometry i-t technique result shows that the prepared composite exhibits a wide linear range of 0.0053-526.62 μg L^-1, a low detection limit of 0.0032 μg L^-1, and very good stability over 2000 s. Notably, our proposed sensor can determine the DFC spiked tomato and water samples with a high recovery range and proven the viability for real-time analysis. Finally, all the above-mentioned study results prove that the F-HNT@Bi₂S₃ could be used as an electrochemical probe for the detection of DFC.