Electrochemical Transparency of Graphene

Freestanding Films of Reduced Graphene Oxide Fully Decorated with Prussian Blue Nanoparticles for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

Developing thin, freestanding electrodes that work simultaneously as a current collector and electroactive material is pivotal to integrating portable and wearable chemical sensors. Herein, we have synthesized graphene/Prussian blue (PB) electrodes for hydrogen peroxide detection (H2O2) using a two-step method. First, an reduced graphene oxide/PAni/Fe2O3 freestanding film is prepared using a doctor blade technique, followed by the electrochemical deposition of PB nanoparticles over the films. The iron oxide nanoparticles work as the iron source for the heterogeneous electrochemical deposition of the nanoparticles in a ferricyanide solution. The size of the PB cubes electrodeposited over the graphene-based electrodes was controlled by the number of voltammetric cycles. For H2O2 sensing, the PB10 electrode achieved the lowest detection and quantification limits, 2.00 and 7.00 μM, respectively. The findings herein evidence the balance between the structure of the graphene/PB-based electrodes with the electrochemical performance for H2O2 detection and pave the path for developing new freestanding electrodes for chemical sensors.

Enhanced Long-Term Stability of Crystalline Nickel-Boride (Ni23B6) Electrocatalyst by Encapsulation with Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Nickel boride catalysts show great potential as low-cost and efficient alternatives to noble-metal catalysts in acidic media; however, synthesizing and isolating a specific phase and composition of nickel boride is nontrivial, and issues persist in their long-term stability as electrocatalysts. Here, a single-crystal nickel boride, Ni23B6, is reported which exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an acidic solution, and that its poor long-term stability can be overcome via encapsulation by single-crystal trilayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) film. Interestingly, hBN-covered Ni23B6 on a Ni substrate shows an identical overpotential of 52 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 to that of bare Ni23B6. This phenomenon indicates that the single-crystalline hBN layer is catalytically transparent and does not obstruct HER activation. The hBN/Ni23B6/Ni has remarkable long-term stability with negligible changes to its polarization curves for 2000 cycles, whereas the Ni23B6/Ni shows significant degradation after 650 cycles. Furthermore, chronoamperometric measurements indicate that stability is preserved for >20 h. Long-term stability tests also reveal that the surface morphology and chemical structure of the hBN/Ni23B6/Ni electrode remain preserved. This work provides a model for the practical design of robust and durable electrochemical catalysts through the use of hBN encapsulation.

Ultrasensitive biosensing platform for Mycobacterium tuberculosis detection based on functionalized graphene devices

Tuberculosis (TB) has high morbidity as a chronic infectious disease transmitted mainly through the respiratory tract. However, the conventional diagnosis methods for TB are time-consuming and require specialists, making the diagnosis of TB with point-of-care (POC) detection difficult. Here, we developed a graphene-based field-effect transistor (GFET) biosensor for detecting the MPT64 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with high sensitivity as a POC detection platform for TB. For effective conjugation of antibodies, the graphene channels of the GFET were functionalized by immobilizing 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (1,5-DAN) and glutaraldehyde linker molecules onto the graphene surface. The successful immobilization of linker molecules with spatial uniformity on the graphene surface and subsequent antibody conjugation were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The GFET functionalized with MPT64 antibodies showed MPT64 detection with a detection limit of 1 fg/mL in real-time, indicating that the GFET biosensor is highly sensitive. Compared to rapid detection tests (RDT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the GFET biosensor platform developed in this study showed much higher sensitivity but much smaller dynamic range. Due to its high sensitivity, the GFET biosensor platform can bridge the gap between time-consuming molecular diagnostics and low-sensitivity RDT, potentially aiding in early detection or management of relapses in infectious diseases.