In this work, indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes were
functionalized
with varying 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) concentration percentages
(0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 2.0 wt %) to obtain the optimum conditions for
the assembly of the as-synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The
AuNP coverage, wettability, and electrochemical performance of the
modified electrodes were evaluated. The AuNP/0.75% APTES-ITO-modified
electrode exhibited uniform coverage of AuNPs and high electrochemical
performance for the simultaneous detection of Cd(II), Pb(II), and
Cu(II) ions. Under the optimum conditions, the AuNP/0.75% APTES-ITO-modified
electrode showed a linear detection range of 5–120 ppb and
limit of detection of 0.73, 0.90, and 0.49 ppb for the simultaneous
detection of Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II) ions, respectively, via square
wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The modified electrode demonstrated
good anti-interference toward other heavy metal ions, good reproducibility,
and suitability for application in environmental sample analysis.