Antimony film electrodes for voltammetric determination of pesticide trifluralin

Antimony film electrodes (SbFEs) were prepared ex situ on various substrate electrodes (namely copper, gold, silver, polished silver solid amalgam, and glassy carbon electrode) and their performance was compared with bare substrate electrodes. The antimony film glassy carbon electrode (SbFGCE) provided the best results. Additionally, parameters of antimony film preparation and other experimental parameters for the determination of pesticide trifluralin were optimised. SbFGCE exhibited good electroanalytical performance for the determination of trifluralin in highly acidic methanolic medium in the concentration range from 1 × 10^− 6 to 1 × 10^− 4 mol L^− 1 with a limit of quantification 1.2 × 10^− 6 mol L^− 1. Furthermore, SbFGCE was used for the determination of trifluralin in model river samples with similar characteristics. Solid phase extraction (SPE) used for preliminary separation and preconcentration in model river water samples enabled to decrease the limit of quantification to 1.3 × 10^− 8 mol L^− 1.