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Photoelectrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide using a gold electrode modified with fluorescent gold nanoclusters and graphene oxide

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Abstract

Nanocomposites consisting of gold nanoclusters and graphene oxide (AuNC/GO) were prepared and investigated with respect to the design of new sensors for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The AuNC/GO hybrid nanomaterials were deposited on a gold electrode by the layer-by-layer assembly method, where they showed enhanced photoelectrical and sensing properties. The presence of graphene oxide improves the photoinduced electron separation efficiency of the AuNCs, as well as the catalytic effect of AuNCs on the electroreduction of H2O2. Compared to an electrode modified with AuNCs only, the new electrodes display a more than ten-fold enhanced photocurrent at a working voltage of -500 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), higher sensitivity for H2O2 (25.76 nA⋅mM−1), lower LOD (2 μM) and extended linear range (from 30 μM to 5 mM). The sensors were applied to the determination of H2O2 extracted from living human umbilical vein endothelial cells stimulated by angiotensin II.

Graphene oxide (GO) not only improves the photoinduced charge separation efficiency of fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) based photoelectrochemical sensors, but also enhances the catalytic property of AuNCs on the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61471207, 61271099 and 81471799), the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No.14JCYBJC16700) and the Opening Project of Key Laboratory of Microelectronic Devices & Integrated Technology, Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Microelectronics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

      Shuang Zhao, Zhengping Li, Yunxiao Li, Guohua Liu & Zhao Yue

    2. College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

      Jun Zhang & Peixin Zhang

    3. Center for Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiation Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China

      Yong Wang

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    1. Shuang Zhao
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    Correspondence to Yong Wang or Zhao Yue.

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    Shuang Zhao and Jun Zhang contributed equally to this work.

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    Zhao, S., Zhang, J., Li, Z. et al. Photoelectrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide using a gold electrode modified with fluorescent gold nanoclusters and graphene oxide. Microchim Acta 184, 677–686 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-2035-9

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