Nano zinc ferrite modified electrode as a novel electrochemical sensing platform in simultaneous measurement of trace level lead and cadmium

Nano sized zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) particles have been synthesized by a simple solution combustion method and its electrochemical sensing application has been reported after modifying the glassy carbon electrode with thin film of zinc ferrite. The nanoparticles have been characterized by FTIR, XRD, BET, FESEM and TEM techniques to ascertain the particle size and its surface morphology. It has been used as an electrochemical sensing tool in the simultaneous measurement of lead and cadmium ions at trace level by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). All the experimental variables have been optimized and it has been utilized in real sample analysis. The sensor exhibited wide linearity in the concentration range 10-130 ppb with detection limits of 1.12 and 2.52 ppb for lead and cadmium metal ions, respectively.