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In the present work, we have developed a novel, ecofriendly method for the synthesis of ZnO superstructures for the first time through the thermal decomposition of zinc nitrate precursor without using any fuel. The synthesized materials were thoroughly characterized using various analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, UV–vis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Further, it has been used as a photocatalyst for the degradation of one of the environmental pollutants such as methylene blue and also as a biosensor toward the detection of dopamine at trace level. The as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles showed superior catalytic activity toward the degradation of methylene blue dye with high degree of recyclability with yellow light emitting photoluminescence. The developed sensor showed a linear range for dopamine up to 300 μM with a detection limit of 1 μM with reproduced results over periods of several months without any deviation in its electrochemical performance.

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A new type of covalent bulk modified glassy carbon composite electrode has been fabricated and utilized in the simultaneous determination of lead and cadmium ions in aqueous medium. The covalent bulk modification was achieved by the chemical reduction of 2-hydroxybenzoic acid diazonium tetrafluroborate in the presence of hypophosphorous acid as a chemical reducing agent. The covalent attachment of the modifier molecule was examined by studying Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy images. The electrochemistry of modified glassy carbon spheres was studied by its cyclic voltammetry to decipher the complexing ability of the modifier molecules towards Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ ions. The developed sensor showed a linear response in the concentration range 1-10 μM with a detection limit of 0.18 and 0.20 μM for lead and cadmium, respectively. The applicability of the proposed sensor has been checked by measuring the lead and cadmium levels quantitatively from sewage water and battery effluent samples.

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