Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) along with carbon nanofibers and polyaniline composite have been explored as an electrochemical sensing platform in nitrite measurement at trace level. Owing to their topology, high surface area and porous structure, these metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) find widespread utility in different application domains. Nitrites are widely used as preservatives in dairy, meat products, and packaged food stuffs. They form N-nitrosamines, which are potential carcinogens and cause detrimental health effects. These ZIF-based MOFs along with carbon nanofibers and polyaniline have emerged as an efficient electrochemical sensing material. The composite has been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and BET surface area studies. The electrochemical performance of the composite has been evaluated by forming as a thin film of composite on the surface of glassy carbon electrode and studying its impedance as well as electrochemical sensing behavior. The sensor exhibited good analytical response in nitrite measurement with a limit of detection of 8.1 μM. The developed sensing platform has been successfully applied to quantify the nitrite levels from water samples. The results obtained are in good agreement with the results of standard protocol.
Polyaniline–graphene quantum dots (PANI–GQDs) are considered as an important candidate for applications in photovoltaic cells. In this work, GQDs were prepared using sono-Fenton reagent from reduced graphene oxide (rGO). PANI–GQD hybrid was also synthesized using the chemical in situ polymerization method. The synthesized materials were characterized using UV–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, current–voltage (I–V) characteristic, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Dynamic light scattering was also used to estimate the lateral size of GQDs. The enhanced visible-light absorbance in the hybrid was confirmed by UV–Vis analysis and the decrease in intensity around 3461 cm−1 in FT-IR spectra was due to the interaction between functional groups of PANI with GQDs. This led to improved thermal stability and conductivity as observed from TGA and I–V analysis, respectively. Moreover, the Raman spectrum for PANI–GQDs showed a decrease in the peak at ~ 1348 and ~ 1572 cm−1 as compared to PANI and GQDs. Similarly, from the XRD profile of PANI–GQDs, a shift in peak was observed due to an alteration in the microstructure. A sandwich device with cell structure glass/ITO/PANI–GQDs/Al was fabricated and its application was tested. Current density–voltage (J–V) curve of the device was measured with a Keithley SMU 2400 unit under an illumination intensity of 100 Wm−2 simulating the AM 1.5 solar spectrum. The hybrid exhibited photovoltaic properties, and 0.857% efficiency was observed in response to the applied voltage. This work suggests that PANI can be used as an alternative material for photovoltaic cells.