Facile single-step synthesis of Cu-rGO nanocomposite through simultaneous reduction process and its peroxidase mimic activity

Abstract

We report a facile single-step synthesis approach for the development of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported copper nanoparticles, which can also perform as a peroxidase enzyme mimicking catalyst. The entire synthesis procedure uses a single reducing agent to reduce graphene oxide and the copper precursor at a relatively lower temperature of 70°C to generate the Cu-rGO composite, where copper nanoparticles are homogenously decorated on the rGO surface. Morphological and structural analysis shows that the crinkled structure of the rGO protects the copper nanoparticles from excessive oxidation and results in the development of a stable Cu-rGO composite. The as-prepared Cu-rGO composite was studied for its efficacy to perform as a peroxidase mimic by catalyzing the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), a peroxidase substrate in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Cu-rGO was successfully able to catalyze hydrogen peroxide and oxidation reaction of TMB followed by a color change. Our results indicate that the Cu-rGO composite has a largely unexplored potential for application in the development of hybrid sensing and detection systems for hydrogen peroxide, which can also be applied for glucose detection.