One-step synthesis of Ag nanoparticles-decorated reduced graphene oxide and their application for H2O2 detection

One-Pot Synthesis of Functionalised rGO/AgNPs Hybrids as Pigments for Highly Conductive Printing Inks

This work provides a method for the development of conductive water-based printing inks for gravure, flexography and screen-printing incorporating commercial resins that are already used in the printing industry. The development of the respective conductive materials/pigments is based on the simultaneous (in one step) reduction of silver salts and graphene oxide in the presence of 2,5-diaminobenzenesulfonic acid that is used for the first time as the common in-situ reducing agent for these two reactions. The presence of aminophenylsulfonic derivatives is essential for the reduction procedure and in parallel leads to the enrichment of the graphene surface with aminophenylsulfonic groups that provide a high hydrophilicity to the final materials/pigments.

Synthesis of CuxO/Ag nanoparticles on exfoliated graphene: application for enhanced electrochemical detection of H2O2 in milk

In this paper, a novel composite is constructed as a non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) sensor by liquid-phase exfoliation method, which is composed of copper oxide, cuprous oxide and silver nanoparticles doped few-layer-graphene (Cu_xO/Ag@FLG). Its surface morphology and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photo spectroscopy (XPS), and its H₂O₂ sensing performances include catalytic reduction and quantitative detection were studied with electrochemical methods. Our sensor had a high sensitivity of 174.5 μA mM^-1 cm^-2 (R² = 0.9978) in an extremely wide range of concentrations from 10 μM to 100 mM, a fast response (about 5 s) and a low limit of detection (S/N = 3) of 2.13 μM. The sensor exhibits outstanding selectivity in the presence of various biological interference, such as dopamine, ascorbic acid, uric acid, citric acid, etc. In addition, the constructed sensor continued 95% current responsiveness after 1 month of storage further points to its long-term stability. Last but not least, it has a good recovery rate (90.12-102.00%) in milk sold on the open market, indicating that it has broad application possibilities in the food industry and biological medicine.

Synergistic effect of Cu-nanoparticles and β-cyclodextrin functionalized reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite on the adsorptive remediation of tetracycline antibiotics

Pollution by tetracyclines antibiotics has a great potential risk on human and animal health even at trace levels. Copper nanoparticles immobilized-β-cyclodextrin functionalized reduced graphene oxide (Cu/β-CD/rGO) were successfully prepared as an efficient extractor of tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) and doxycycline (DC) antibiotics from different environmental water samples. Tetracyclines (TCs) are strongly deposited in the matrix of Cu/β-CD/rGO nanocomposite via surface complexation with the Cu-nanoparticles besides the formation of inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin and π-π interaction of reduced graphene oxide. The novel nanocomposite was characterized by HRSEM, TEM, TGA, FT-IR, XPS, and XRD. The optimization of variables such as the pH, contact time, ionic strength and TC concentration were successfully analyzed. The maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) of Cu/β-CD/rGO calculated from the Langmuir isotherm was 403.2 mg.g^-1 for TC, 476.2 mg.g^-1 for OTC and 434.8 mg.g^-1 for DC at 298 K. The removal efficiency was decreased by 3.7% after five adsorption-desorption cycles. The Cu/β-CD/rGO nanocomposite was applied for removing TCs from tap water and the Nile River water samples. The novel nanocomposite demonstrated fast and highly efficient removing performance for different TCs with low levels and large sample volume.

A polypyrrole-coated eightfold-helical Wells-Dawson POM-based Cu-FKZ framework for enhanced colorimetric sensing

To explore a novel colorimetric biosensor with high sensibility and selectivity, a new Wells-Dawson-type polyoxometalate (POM)-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with an eightfold helix, [Cu₉(FKZ)₁₂(H₂O)₈][H₃P₂W₁₈O₆₂]₂·4H₂O (CuFKZP₂W₁₈) (HFKZ = 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,1-bis[(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl] ethanol), was successfully synthesized; then, polypyrrole (PPy) was introduced to fabricate CuFKZP₂W₁₈/PPy(n) nanocomposites (n = 7%, 15%, 30%) via a facile in situ oxidation polymerization process. All the results indicate that CuFKZP₂W₁₈/PPy(15%) as a colorimetric biosensor exhibits lower limits of detection (0.07 μM towards H₂O₂ and 0.627 μM towards ascorbic acid), smaller K_m values (0.106 mM for H₂O₂ and 0.042 mM for o-phenylenediamine) and higher sensitivity (0.0227 1 μM^-1 towards H₂O₂ and 0.0025 1 μM^-1 to ascorbic acid) than most reported enzyme mimetics to the best of our knowledge.

Ag and Au nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide composite materials: Synthesis and application in diagnostics and therapeutics

The exceptional electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties have made two dimensional sp² hybridized graphene a material of choice in both academic as well as industrial research. In the last few years, researchers have devoted their efforts towards the development of graphene/polymer, graphene/metal nanoparticle and graphene/ceramic nanocomposites. These materials display excellent mechanical, electrical, thermal, catalytic, magnetic and optical properties which cannot be obtained separately from the individual components. Fascinating physical and chemical properties are displayed by noble metal nanomaterials and thus they represent model building blocks for modifying nanoscale structures for diverse applications extending from catalysis, optics to nanomedicine. Insertion of noble metal (Au, Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) into chemically derived graphene is thus of primary importance to open new avenues for both materials in various fields where the specific properties of each material act synergistically to provide hybrid materials with exceptional performances. This review attempts to summarize the different synthetic procedures for the preparation of Ag and Au NPs/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites. The synthesis processes of metal NPs/rGO composites are categorised into in-situ and ex-situ techniques. The in-situ approach consists of simultaneous reduction of metal salts and GO to obtain metal NPs/rGO nanocomposite materials, while in the ex-situ process, the metal NPs of desired size and shape are first synthesized and then transferred onto the GO or rGO matrix. The application of the Ag NPs and Au NPs/rGO composite materials in the area of biomedical (drug delivery and photothermal therapy) and biosensing are the focus of this review article.

Advancement of Ag-Graphene Based Nanocomposites: An Overview of Synthesis and Its Applications

Graphene has been employed as an excellent support for metal nanomaterials because of its unique structural and physicochemical properties. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with exceptional properties have received considerable attention in various fields; however, particle aggregation limits its application. Therefore, the combination of AgNPs and graphene based nanocomposites (Ag-graphene based nanocomposites) has been widely explored to improve their properties and applications. Excitingly, enhanced antimicrobial, catalytic, and surface enhanced Raman scattering properties are obtained after their combination. In order to have a comprehensive knowledge of these nanocomposites, this Review highlights the chemical and biological synthesis of Ag-graphene nanocomposites. In particular, their applications as antimicrobial agents, catalysts, and sensors in biomedicine, agricultural protection, and environmental remediation and detection are covered. Meanwhile, the factors that influence the synthesis and applications are also briefly discussed. Furthermore, several important issues on the challenges and new directions are also provided for further development of these nanocomposites.

Preparation of a nanocomposite material consisting of cuprous oxide, polyaniline and reduced graphene oxide, and its application to the electrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide

A method is described for the preparation of a nanocomposite material consisting of cuprous oxide/polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (Cu₂O/PANI/rGO). Aniline was employed as both the precursor for PANI and the reducing agent for Cu²⁺ and graphene oxide. A glassy carbon electrode was modified with the nanocomposite material. Chronoamperometric studies with the modified electrode showed it to enable an efficient electroreduction of hydrogen peroxide at -0.2 V vs. saturated calomel electrode. All measurements were performed in the absence of oxygen. Figures of merit include a wide linear response range (0.8 μM to 12.78 mM) and a low limit of detection of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3). Graphical abstract Cuprous oxide/polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites were synthesized through one-step process for fabricating an nonenzymatic electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide.

A novel electrocatalytic nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide/silver nanocube hybrid decorated imprinted polymer for ultra-trace sensing of temozolomide

A new nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide/silver nanocube hybrid decorated molecularly imprinted polymer at the surface of a screen-printed carbon electrode was developed for the electroanalysis of an anticancerous drug, temozolomide, at the ultra-trace level.

Temperature-driven growth of reduced graphene oxide/copper nanocomposites for glucose sensing

A one-spot method was developed for the synthesis of graphene sheet decorated with copper nanoparticles using different reduction temperatures via a molecular level mixing process. Here, we demonstrate that the reduction temperature is a crucial determinant of the properties of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/metal composite and its electrocatalytic application in glucose sensing. To show this, we prepared a series of RGO/Cu composites at different reduction temperatures and examined the change rules of size, loading and dispersion of Cu particles, and the reduction extent of the RGO. Results showed that the Cu particle size increased with increasing reduction temperatures due to the Ostwald ripening process. Meanwhile, the Cu loading decreased with increasing reduction temperatures and the aggregation had not appeared in the high Cu loading situation. Additionally, the increasing reduction temperatures led to the decreasing concentrations of various oxygen-containing functional group of RGO with various degrees. The cyclic voltammogram showed that the RGO/metal composites fabricated under lower reduction temperatures exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity for glucose sensing, which was attributed to the higher surface area from larger loading of RGO/metal composites with smaller particle size. It can be concluded that the above factors play more significant roles in electrocatalytic efficiency than the decreased electron transfer rate between RGO and Cu within a certain range. These results highlight the importance of the reduction temperature influencing the properties of the RGO/metal composite and its application. We believe that these findings can be of great value in the further developing RGO/metal-based sensors for electrochemical detection of different analytes in emerging fields.

Horseradish peroxidase supported on porous graphene as a novel sensing platform for detection of hydrogen peroxide in living cells sensitively

A viable and simple method for preparing porous graphene network using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) etching was proposed, and a sensitive biosensor was constructed based on the porous graphene (PGN) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to measure the release of H₂O₂ from living cells. Owing to the large surface area and versatile porous structure, the use of nanoporous materials can significantly improve the analysis performance of the biosensor by loading large amounts of enzyme and accelerating diffusion rate. Meanwhile, the constructed electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance toward H₂O₂ with a determination limit as low as 0.0267nM and wide linear range of 7 orders of magnitude, which was superior to other H₂O₂ electrochemical sensors. Thus, this novel biosensor can detect the H₂O₂ release from living cells not only under normal physiological conditions (10^-8-10^-7M) but also in emergency state with the increased concentration (~10^-4M). This work provides tremendous potential for real-time tracking of the secretion of H₂O₂ in different types of physiological and pathological investigations.

Progress of Mimetic Enzymes and Their Applications in Chemical Sensors

The need to develop innovative and reformative approaches to synthesize chemical sensors has increased in recent years because of demands for selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. Mimetic enzymes provide an efficient and convenient method for chemical sensors. This review summarizes the application of mimetic enzymes in chemical sensors. Mimetic enzymes can be classified into five categories: hydrolases, oxidoreductases, transferases, isomerases, and induced enzymes. Potential and recent applications of mimetic enzymes in chemical sensors are reviewed in detail, and the outlook of profound development has been illustrated.

An ultrasensitive label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on signal amplification strategy of multifunctional magnetic graphene loaded with cadmium ions

Herein, a novel and ultrasensitive label-free electrochemical immunosensor was proposed for quantitative detection of human Immunoglobulin G (IgG). The amino functionalized magnetic graphenes nanocomposites (NH₂-GS-Fe₃O₄) were prepared to bond gold and silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) by constructing stable Au-N and Ag-N bond between Au@Ag NPs and -NH₂. Subsequently, the Au@Ag/GS-Fe₃O₄ was applied to absorb cadmium ion (Cd²⁺) due to the large surface area, high conductivity and exceptional adsorption capability. The functional nanocomposites of gold and silver core-shell magnetic graphene loaded with cadmium ion (Au@Ag/GS-Fe₃O₄/Cd²⁺) can not only increase the electrocatalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) but also improve the effective immobilization of antibodies because of synergistic effect presented in Au@Ag/GS-Fe₃O₄/Cd²⁺, which greatly extended the scope of detection. Under the optimal conditions, the proposed immunosensor was used for the detection of IgG with good linear relation in the range from 5 fg/mL to 50 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 2 fg/mL (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the proposed immunosensor showed high sensitivity, special selectivity and long-term stability, which had promising application in bioassay analysis.

Highly stable biomolecule supported by gold nanoparticles/graphene nanocomposite as a sensing platform for H2O2 biosensor application

Highly stable biomolecule supported by AuNPs assisted with graphene nanocomposite as a sensing platform for H₂O₂ biosensor application.

Facile synthesis of magnetically separable reduced graphene oxide/magnetite/silver nanocomposites with enhanced catalytic activity

In this study, the combination of magnetite (Fe3O4) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) generates a new hybrid substrate for the dispersion of noble metal nanoparticles. Well-dispersed silver (Ag) nanoparticles loaded on the surface of Fe3O4 modified RGO are achieved by an efficient two-step approach. Through reducing Ag(+) ions, highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles are in-situ formed on the RGO/Fe3O4 substrate. It is found that the existence of Fe3O4 nanocrystals can significantly improve the dispersity and decrease the particle size of the in-situ formed Ag nanoparticles. Magnetic study reveals that the as-prepared RGO/Fe3O4/Ag ternary nanocomposites display room-temperature superparamagnetic behavior. The catalytic properties of the RGO/Fe3O4/Ag ternary nanocomposites were evaluated with the reduction of 4-nitrophenol into 4-aminophenol as a model reaction. The as-synthesized RGO/Fe3O4/Ag ternary catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic stability and much higher catalytic activity than the corresponding RGO/Ag catalyst. Moreover, the RGO/Fe3O4/Ag catalysts can be easily magnetically separated for reuse. This study further demonstrates that nanoparticles modified graphene can act as an effective hybrid substrate for the synthesis of multi-component and multifunctional graphene-based composites.

Facile synthesis of silver nanoparticle-decorated graphene oxide nanocomposites and their application for electrochemical sensing

TWEEN 80 was employed as the reducing agent, stabilizer and modifier in the synthesis of nanoparticle–graphene oxide nanocomposites.

One-pot green synthesis of Ag/AgCl nanocube/reduced graphene oxide and its application to the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol

Uniformly dispersed Ag/AgCl nanocubes (AgNC) were successfully obtained on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through the simultaneous reduction of Ag⁺and graphene oxide (GO) by chitosan in the presence of a little HCl.

Oxides in silver–graphene nanocomposites: electrochemical signatures and electrocatalytic implications

Electrochemical investigations establish that the electroreduction of oxide form of silver present in Ag-reduced graphene oxide nanoassembly enhances its efficiency towards electro-oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA).

Synthesis of Ag nanoparticle–carbon nanotube–reduced graphene oxide hybrids for highly sensitive non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection

AgNP–CNT–rGO hybrids were successfully prepared and such hybrids exhibited good sensing performance for electrochemical non-enzymatic detection of hydrogen peroxide.

Ultrasensitive non-mediator electrochemical immunosensors using Au/Ag/Au core/double shell nanoparticles as enzyme-mimetic labels

Determination of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) in human serum plays an important role in diagnosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. In this work, Au/Ag/Au core/double shell nanoparticles (Au/Ag/Au NPs) were prepared by a simple approach and were used as novel enzyme-mimetic labels for development of a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for SCCA. The nanostructure of Au/Ag/Au NPs could be well confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectra. Au NPs decorated mercapto-functionalized graphene sheets (Au@SH-GS) were used as platform for immobilization of primary antibody (Ab1), while Au/Ag/Au NPs were employed as labels of secondary antibody (Ab2). Due to the excellent electrocatalytic activity of Au/Ag/Au NPs towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), electrochemical amperometric responses to SCCA were achieved after the immuno-reaction. Under optimum conditions, the electrochemical immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range from 0.5 pg/mL to 40 ng/mL with a low detection limit of 0.18 pg/mL for SCCA. The designed immunosensor displayed an excellent analytical performance with good reproducibility, high selectivity and stability.

Graphene-based electrochemical sensors

Graphene, one kind of emerging carbon nanomaterial, has attracted increasing attention recently. Due to its fascinating physical and electrochemical properties, graphene as a promising electrode material has been widely used in electrochemical sensing applications. In this review, different approaches for the fabrication of graphene and the preparation of graphene-modified electrodes for electrochemical sensors are introduced. Moreover, recent research results on different graphene-based materials as an electrochemical platform for the detection of various biomolecules and chemicals are reviewed and compared. More electrochemical studies on this novel material should show up in the near future.