Voltammetric determination of a UV filter pollutant using a platinum electrode modified by a polymer membrane based on ß-cyclodextrin

Purpose This study aims to develop an electrochemical sensor for the detection of benzophenone (BP) as an alternative to conventional techniques that are known, expensive, complex and less sensitive. Design/methodology/approach The developed sensor is a platinum electrode modified with a plasticized polymer film based on ß-cyclodextrin, using PVC as the polymer, PEG as the plasticizer and ß-CD as the ionophore. This sensor is characterized by various techniques, such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and cyclic voltammetry. This latter is also used for analyzing kinetic processes at the electrode/electrolyte interface and to evaluate the selectivity and sensitivity of the sensor. Findings The results highlight the performance of our sensor. In fact, it exhibits a linear response extending from 10 −19 to 10 −13 M, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9836. What is more, it has an excellent detection limit of 10 −19 M and a good sensitivity of 21.24 µA/M. Originality/value The results of this investigation demonstrated that the developed sensor is an analytical tool of choice for the monitoring of BP in the aqueous phase. The suggested sensor is fast, simple, reproducible and inexpensive.