Tailoring CoFe₂O₄-modified activated carbon with improved selectivity for electrochemical detection of paracetamol in wastewater

A simple yet efficient electrochemical technique is capable of measuring paracetamol (PARA) in wastewater. Green activated carbon nanoparticles (AC) from pineapple peels and its bimetallic oxide composite (AC-CoFe₂O₄) is a choice advanced sensor employed in this work for wastewater quality monitoring. Due to its high porosity, cost-effectiveness, stability, and impressive electroactive surface area, the electrocatalytic behaviour of the AC-CoFe₂O₄ sensor displayed an enhanced performance, partly owing to the presence of numerous surface holes exhibited by its structure. The uniqueness of its structure was ascertained by a range of analytical methods, such as transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. With a detection limit of 0.027 mM and a limit of quantification of 0.27 mM, the electrochemical characterization by Cyclic voltammetry showed a linear range of PARA from 0.1 mM to 5.0 mM. This linear range was established by the sensitivity study of the surface-modified AC-CoFe₂O₄ nanostructures for PARA detection using a voltametric technique. High selectivity, reproducibility, and stability shown by the sensor were linked to its improved electrochemical performance, which is directly influenced by the surface modification characterized by AC-CoFe₂O₄ nanostructures. Furthermore, the study evaluated the effectiveness of the PARA sensor in actual wastewater, highlighting the potential of electrochemical sensors using activated carbon modified-CoFe₂O₄ nanomaterial as a feasible alternative for effective wastewater monitoring.