Nanocomposite of nickel phthalocyanine nanoparticles and detonation nanodiamonds for enhanced electrocatalysis

Abstract

This work reports on nickel phthalocyanines nanoparticles (NPs)-detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) as potential platforms for electrocatalytic detection of nitrite in 0.2 M sodium hydroxide solution. The electrode surfaces were analysed using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance which showed enhanced electron transfer after modification, with (1)-NPs-DNDs showing relatively better electron tranter ability. The electrocatalytic performance of modified surfaces was investigated towards nitrite electrooxidation. The results demonstrated that tetrakis [4-(4-(4,5-dichloro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole-2-yl) phenoxy] phthalocyanato nickel (II) (1)-NPs-DNDs gave more negative oxidation potential (0.87 V), highest background corrected current (120.3 μA), highest electrocatalytic rate constant (2.84 × 104 M−1 s−1) and lowest limit of detection of (0.098 nM). These factors rendered (1)-NPs-DNDs electrode surface better than others studied here making it a promising sensor for nitrite.