Nanostructured photoelectrochemical biosensor for highly sensitive detection of organophosphorous pesticides

A sensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor for detection of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) using the nanocomposite of CdSe@ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and graphene deposited on the ITO coated glass electrode as a photoactive electrode is presented. The integration of CdSe@ZnS/graphene nanocomposite with biomolecules acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as a biorecognition element yields a novel biosensing platform. Under visible light irradiation, the AChE-CdSe@ZnS/graphene nanocomposite can generate a stable photocurrent and the photocurrent is found to be inversely dependent on the concentration of OPs. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the photocurrents were proportional to the logarithm of paraoxon and dichlorvos within the concentration range of 10−12-10−6 M. The detection limits (LOD) of the proposed biosensor for paraoxon and dichlorvos are as low as 10−14 M and 10−12 M. The photoelectrochemical biosensor shows good sensitivity, reproducibility, stability, and could be successfully applied to detection of OPs in real fruit samples.