Morphology controlled Cu₃BiS₃ 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 Cu₃BiS₃ nanostructures with a modified morphology using three different nitrogen bases: DBN, DBU, and DABCO <i>via</i> 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 Cu₃BiS₃ 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 Cu₃BiS₃ 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 Cu₃BiS₃ highlight the benefits of developing such catalysts and the impact of nitrogenous bases in defining the morphology of the materials with enhanced catalytic activities.