Enhanced Electrochemical Detection of Heavy Metal Ions Using TPyP‐sPEEK Composite‐Modified Electrodes

Porphyrin/sulphonated polyetheretherketone (sPEEK) composites are successfully obtained at different dye/polymer weight/weight percentage taking advantage of electrostatic interactions among the protonable nitrogen atoms of 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(4‐pyridyl)‐21H,23H‐porphyrin porphyrin (TPyP) and anionic sulphonated groups of the polymer with 65% of sulfonation degree. These supramolecular adducts(TPyP‐sPEEK) are drop‐casted onto a commercial screen‐printed carbon substrate (SPCE) to fabricate new modified TPyP‐sPEEK /SPCE sensors for the detection of heavy metal ions such as Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Hg 2+ . Sample at different porphyrin loads has been analyzed by electrochemical techniques. sPEEK composite with 5% porphyrin/polymer w/w% is identified as the optimal one in terms of stability and high percentages of recovery of the tested heavy metal ions in seawater environment.