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Enhanced electrochemical sensing of nitric oxide using a nanocomposite consisting of platinum-tungsten nanoparticles, reduced graphene oxide and an ionic liquid

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Abstract

We describe a high-performance nitric oxide (NO) sensor by using a nanocomposite consisting of platinum-tungsten alloy nanoparticles, sheets of reduced graphene oxide and an ionic liquid (PtW/rGO-IL) that was deposited onto the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The modified GC electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of NO with a strong peak at 0.78 V vs. Ag/AgCl due to the synergistic effects of bimetallic PtW nanoparticles, reduced graphene oxide nanosheets and an ionic liquid. The sensor possesses a detection limit as low as 0.13 nM, high sensitivity (3.01 μA μM−1 cm2), and good selectivity over electroactive interferents that may exist in biological systems. The sensor was tested to selectively distinguish NO in actual human serum and urine samples, confirming potential practical applications. In our perception, the approach described here may be extended to the fabrication of various kind of composites made from metal nanostructures, graphene and ionic liquids for medical and environmental analysis.

Enhanced electrochemical sensing of nitric oxide (NO) is demonstrated by utilizing the synergistic effects of bimetallic PtW nanoparticles dispersed on reduced graphene oxide and ionic liquid nanocomposite.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC RGPIN-2015-06248). A. Chen acknowledges NSERC and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for the Canada Research Chair Award in Materials and Environmental Chemistry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada

    Maduraiveeran Govindhan & Aicheng Chen

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  1. Maduraiveeran Govindhan
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  2. Aicheng Chen
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Correspondence to Aicheng Chen.

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Govindhan, M., Chen, A. Enhanced electrochemical sensing of nitric oxide using a nanocomposite consisting of platinum-tungsten nanoparticles, reduced graphene oxide and an ionic liquid. Microchim Acta 183, 2879–2887 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1936-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1936-y

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