Hexagonally close-packed three-dimensional nano-flower entrapped on a heteroatom doped carbon sheets: A sensitive electro-catalyst to determine sulfonamide in environmental samples.

Sulfamethazine (SMZ) is one of the antibiotics frequently found with low concentrations in water bodies including drinking water sources and foodstuffs contamination, which affects the environmental ecosystem and humans. Therefore, the detection of SMZ is necessary to protect the biosphere. This work provides an investigation of the SMZ oxidation process using the electrochemical method by hydrothermally synthesized Barium doped Zinc oxide (BZO) with nitrogen and boron-doped reduced graphene oxide (NBRGO). The BZO/NBRGO composite was characterized using FESEM, EDAX, HR-TEM, Raman-spectroscopy, XRD, and XPS. Further, an electrochemical investigation has also made use of EIS, CV, and DPV. The limit of detection (LOD) of the SMZ has been found 0.003 μM with high sensitivity of 12.804 µA µM-1 cm-2 and a linear range (0.01-711 μM). Additionally, the repeatability, reproducibility, and stability of the BZO/NBRGO electrode have an excellent outcome compared with other electrodes. These prepared BZO/NBRGO electrodes have been used for the determination of SMZ in milk and water sample with acceptable recoveries.