ABSTRACT
Metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) material has many advantages, such as high catalytic activity, high utilization rate of metal atoms, and a simple model of the active center. In this work, the Fe-N-C material was synthesized by ultrasonication followed by a high-temperature carbonization method and then fabricated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the sensitive and selective determination of nitrite. The successful synthesis of Fe-N-C was demonstrated by XRD and XPS. The morphologies of the materials were studied by SEM, mapping and TEM. At pH = 7, the Fe-N-C modified glassy carbon electrode has high electrocatalytic activity for nitrite oxidation, exhibiting a strong oxidation peak at 0.71 V. The constructed Fe-N-C electrochemical sensor shows a good linear relationship in the concentration range of 20–5000 μM, and the detection limit for nitrite is 4.17 μM (S/N = 3). The sensor offers a high level of repeatability and anti-interference capability. As a result, this study not only presents an innovative method for developing novel nitrite electrochemical sensors, but it also broadens the applicability of Fe-N-C materials in the realm of food safety.
