Is the poly (methylene blue)-modified glassy carbon electrode an adequate electrode for the simple detection of thiols and amino acid-based molecules?

This paper describes the preparation, characterization, and use of poly (methylene blue) (PMB)-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) (GCE–PMB) in the detection of the thiols L-cysteine (L-CySH) and N-acetyl cysteine (Acy), and the herbicide glyphosate (GLYP) in pH 5.3 aqueous solution. The polymer film prepared by electropolymerization showed different characteristics such as robustness, stability, and redox properties satisfactorily. The surface coverage concentration (Γ) of PMB was found to be 7.90 × 10−9 mol cm−2. Moreover, we observed strong adhesion of the polymer film to the electrode surface. The results using GCE–PMB as a sensor indicated that this modified electrode exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward the detection of thiols and glyphosate in 0.1 mol L−1 KCl (pH 5.3). Meanwhile, strong adsorption of the analytes on the GCE–PMB electrodes was also observed. Otherwise, using a low concentration (1 × 10−4 mol L−1) of L-cysteine and N-acetyl cysteine and 8.9 × 10–6 mol L−1 of glyphosate, separately, it was possible to observe a well-defined electrochemical response, thus providing an opportunity to further understand the applicability of PMB as a sensor for amino acid-based molecules.