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Reduced graphene oxide nanosheets functionalized with poly(styrene sulfonate) as a peroxidase mimetic in a colorimetric assay for ascorbic acid

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Abstract

The authors describe a highly sensitive colorimetric method for the determination of ascorbic acid. It is based on the finding that nanosheets of reduced graphene oxide that were functionalized with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS-rGO) possess peroxidase-like activity that catalyzes the oxidization of the substrate 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2 to form a blue product (oxidized TMB; oxTMB) that can be quantified by photometry or visually. If ascorbic acid is present, a fraction of H2O2 will be consumed and hence less oxTMB (with an absorption peak at 652 nm) will be formed. Ascorbic acid can be quantified by photometry in the 0.8 to 60 μM concentration range with a 0.15 μM detection limit. The method was successfully applied to the determination of ascorbic acid in vitamin C tablets and orange juice.

The use of a nanocomposite consisting of poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and nanosheets of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an artificial enzyme enables highly sensitive colorimetric detection of ascorbic acid.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21205108, 21505122), the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars (State Education Ministry of China), and the Technology Foundation for Selected Overseas Chinese Scholars (Ministry of Personnel of China).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Chen, Jia Ge, Lin Zhang, Zhaohui Li, Jianjun Li, Yanjun Sun & Lingbo Qu

  2. Luoyang Institute of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, People’s Republic of China

    Lingbo Qu

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  1. Jing Chen
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  2. Jia Ge
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  3. Lin Zhang
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  4. Zhaohui Li
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  5. Jianjun Li
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  6. Yanjun Sun
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  7. Lingbo Qu
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Correspondence to Zhaohui Li, Yanjun Sun or Lingbo Qu.

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Chen, J., Ge, J., Zhang, L. et al. Reduced graphene oxide nanosheets functionalized with poly(styrene sulfonate) as a peroxidase mimetic in a colorimetric assay for ascorbic acid. Microchim Acta 183, 1847–1853 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1826-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1826-3

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