Multifunctional and low toxic graphene oxide dispersed Bi₂CuSe₅ nanoflakes for electrochemical sensing and photocatalytic degradation of carbendazim with antibacterial efficacy

An innovative graphene oxide dispersed bismuth copper selenide nanoflakes (GO@BCSe NFs) was designed for the detection and degradation of carbendazim (CBZ). Characterization results confirmed a reduced band gap (1.89 eV) for strong visible-light absorption, a high crystallinity pattern with confirmed phase purity, desired elemental composition, uniform distribution and a high surface area (644.35 m²/g) with a 0.135 cm³/g pore volume. GO@BCSe NFs modified GCE demonstrated a linear range from 0.01 to 300 μM CBZ with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.21 nM and demonstrated good selectivity, stability and recovery in the soil sample. Moreover, these NFs achieved 79.2 % photocatalytic degradation of CBZ within 60 min under visible light. Additionally, the NFs revealed potential antibacterial efficacy against waterborne pathogens such as E. coli and S. aureus compared to the standards, with the MIC value 11 and 13 mg/mL respectively. Cytotoxicity tests of the NFs exhibited cell viability surpassing 77.22 % at a dosage of >100 μg/mL, with an IC₅₀ value of 349.54 μg/mL, suggesting the appropriateness of the NFs for the intended therapeutic effect. These results highlight GO@BCSe NFs as a multifaceted and effective novel material for the detection and remediation of CBZ, with further potential for antibacterial applications with low toxicity.