Fruitful design of novel SrV₂O₆@MCM-41-based electrochemical sensor for carcinogenic carbendazim detection in complex real-world matrices

The detection of pesticide residues is critical for ensuring food safety and environmental health. Carbendazim (CBZ), a highly toxic systemic fungicide, has been linked to severe health and ecological concerns, necessitating the development of sensitive detection techniques. In this study, a novel SrV₂O₆@MCM-41 nanocomposite was fabricated through a facile co-precipitation method, combining the exceptional electrocatalytic properties of SrV₂O₆ with the high surface area and ordered porosity of MCM-41. The synthesized nanocomposite was systematically characterized using XRD, FT-IR, TEM, SEM, EDAX, and XPS to confirm its crystalline structure, morphology, and composition. Electrochemical studies, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), demonstrated the SrV₂O₆@MCM-41-modified electrode's superior electrocatalytic activity for CBZ detection. The sensor exhibited a broad linear range (0.01–720 μM), good sensitivity of 1.08 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻², a remarkably low detection limit of 5 nM, and exceptional selectivity even in the presence of potential interferents. Real-world applications were validated by analyzing CBZ in soil, water, and various fruit and vegetable samples, achieving high recovery rates (94.59–102.3 %) with minimal matrix effects. These findings highlight the potential of SrV₂O₆@MCM-41 as a robust and scalable material for advanced sensing technologies, offering a cost-effective, sensitive, and reliable solution for pesticide monitoring in complex matrices.