Morphology controlled CuBiS nanostructures: superior electrocatalytic sensing of organic nitro compounds.

Addressing the pressing need to develop affordable and efficient catalysts is essential. In this study, we successfully synthesized CuBiS nanostructures with a modified morphology using three different nitrogen bases: DBN, DBU, and DABCO a hydrothermal technique. These nanostructures were used for the electrochemical detection of organic nitro groups, a previously unexplored application for this material. We conducted a thorough characterization of the CuBiS nanostructures using various analytical and spectroscopic methods, including PXRD, FESEM, TEM, XPS, UV-vis, and BET, ensuring the reliability of our results. We then investigated their performance in the electrochemical detection of 4-dinitrophenol (4-NP) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) using a modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The CuBiS material produced using DABCO exhibited better sensitivity towards 4-NP detection, with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.50 μM compared to the ones synthesized using DBN and DBU. Furthermore, the synthesized materials demonstrated the ability to detect their structural analogue, 2,4-DNP. The distinctive hierarchical nanostructures attained in CuBiS highlight the benefits of developing such catalysts and the impact of nitrogenous bases in defining the morphology of the materials with enhanced catalytic activities.