Development of Hybrid Electrodes Based on a Ti/TiO2 Mesoporous/Reduced Graphene Oxide Structure for Enhanced Electrochemical Applications

Abstract

Titanium/TiO2 mesoporous/reduced graphene oxide structure for construction of a hybrid electrode was successfully developed using a facile and effective spin-coating technique. The as-prepared structures were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, RAMAN analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with elemental analysis (EDX), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, the electrochemical behavior was assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a 1M KNO3 supporting electrolyte and in the presence of 4 mM K3Fe(CN)6 to determine the electroactive surface area and apparent diffusion coefficient of the hybrid electrode. The charge transfer resistance was investigated via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 0.1 M Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte to confirm the role of reduced graphene oxide on the electrode’s surface. The potential application of as-obtained hybrid electrodes in electroanalysis was tested through cyclic voltammetry in the presence of doxorubicin as the target analyte, in the concentration range between 1 to 7 mg L−1 DOX. By using mesoporous TiO2 with a high specific surface area (~140 m2 g−1) in the synthesis of the composite material based on a Ti/TiO2(Ms)/rGO hybrid structure, was obtained a 2.3-times increase in electroactive surface area than the geometrical surface area of the hybrid electrode. These results provide new insights into the development of high-performance and cost-effective electrochemical sensors based on reduced graphene oxide films on metallic structures for applications in the detection processes of drugs from wastewater.