Abstract:
A nanosodalite (SOD) was synthesized utilizing Cameroonian
kaolin and then used to prepare a nanocomposite (SOD-GF)
with graphene foam (GF). The as-synthesized materials were
characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption
and scanning electron microscopy coupled with emission
dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX). The results show a pure sodalite
with high degree of crystallinity with crystallite size and BET
surface area of 38.3 nm and 22 m2
/g, respectively. The composite’s characterization revealed a well-integrated material in
which the structural integrity of each material is maintained, its
surface area being 4-fold that of pristine SOD. Stable SOD and
SOD-GF modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were prepared
by drop coating without a binder and utilized to study the
electrochemistry of chlorpromazine (CPZ) in acidic, neutral and
basic pHs. It appeared that (i) CPZ’s electrochemical oxidation
was a two-step one-electron process at SOD/GCE and a one step two-electron process at SOD-GF/GCE and (ii) the electrochemical reaction mechanism was an EEC mechanism at SOD/
GCE while at SOD-GF/GCE the mechanism was EEC at pH<4
and EC for greater pH. SOD/GCE and SOD-GF/GCE were used to
sense CPZ within CPZ’s concentration ranging from 0.5-30 μM
with low detection limits.
