Gold nanoparticles for sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide: a simple non-enzymatic approach

A simple and novel strategy was developed to fabricate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor based on gold nanoparticles (NPs) stabilized in polyvinylpyrrolidone. The formation of polymer-stabilized gold NPs (PSGN) was confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to elucidate the interaction between the polymer and the gold NPs. The electrochemical activities of the PSGN-modified electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical results show remarkable electrocatalytic activity of the PSGN-modified electrode towards H2O2 detection. The modified electrode exhibits a wide linear range with low detection limit of 0.7 µM. The fabricated sensor shows good reproducibility, long-term stability and high selectivity towards other electroactive species as well. Thus the proposed sensor seems to be a potential candidate for developing a simple, rapid and cost-effective enzymeless biosensor.