A novel paper-based electrochemical device modified with Ni-doped TiO2 nanocrystals-decorated graphene oxide for ascorbic acid detection

Abstract

This study presents the development of a novel paper-based electrochemical device modified with pure and nickel-doped TiO2 nanocrystals and graphene oxide to enhance its ability to detect ascorbic acid (AA). The use of nanomaterials in the fabrication of the sensor provides a high surface area-to-volume ratio, leading to an increase in the sensitivity and selectivity of the device. The nanomaterials were synthesized, and a combination with the best properties was selected for detecting AA. The morphological, structural, and electrical properties of the nanomaterials in the paper device were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy (Raman), and cyclic voltammetry (CV), respectively. The sensor's performance was evaluated through various experiments, including cyclic voltammetry, to measure its sensitivity and selectivity in detecting AA. The results indicate that adding Ni-doped TiO2 nanocrystals improves the sensor's sensitivity while incorporating graphene oxide enhances its selectivity. Furthermore, the sensor's performance was compared to that of other commonly used sensors, and it was found to be highly sensitive and selective. Therefore, this paper-based electrochemical sensor, modified with nanomaterials, shows great potential for detecting AA and other applications, such as environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics, due to its high sensitivity and selectivity, low cost, and ease of use.