A novel nonenzymatic ascorbic acid electrochemical sensor based on gold nanoparticals-chicken egg white-copper phosphate-graphene oxide hybrid nanoflowers

Abstract

Au-CEW-Cu3(PO4)2-GO nanoflowers (HNFs), which were assembled of gold nanoparticals (Au NPs), chicken egg white (CEW), copper phosphate (Cu3(PO4)2) and graphene oxide (GO) together to form a flower-like organic/inorganic hybrid nanocomposite, were synthesized through a simple and gentle one-pot co-precipitation method. The prepared samples were well characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer, x-ray diffraction and Raman spectrometer. The prepared Au-CEW-Cu3(PO4)2-GO HNFs was used to modify glassy carbon electrode to fabricate an electrochemical sensor for detection of ascorbic acid (AA). The electrochemical test results show that the linear range of the developed sensor is 8–300 μM and the detection limit is 2.67 μM (S/N = 3). While this sensor displays high sensitivity of 6.01 × 10–3 μA μM−1 cm−2 and low detection potential of 35 mV due to the combination of the high conductivity of Au NPs, the larger specific surface area of GO and the intrinsic electrocatalytic activity of CEW-Cu3(PO4)2 HNFs. Moreover, the Au-CEW-Cu3(PO4)2-GO HNFs-based sensor was successfully developed for application in electrochemical detection of AA in vitamin C tablets.