Nanoporous Gold Prepared via Solid-Phase Reaction: Enhanced Thermal Stability and High Sensitvity for Electrochemical Detection of Glucose

Abstract

Nanoporous gold (NPG) is widely investigated in the fields of catalysis, sensing and supercapacitors, because of its diverse properties, which include high specific surface area, good electrical conductivity, controllable structure and etc. In the present study, NPG was prepared via a solid-phase reaction method (SPRM). The thermal stability of the prepared NPG was studied and its electrocatalytic activity toward the glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) under near-human-physiological conditions (pH = 7.4) was explored. The heat treatment results demonstrated that the NPG is a promising material with enhanced thermal stability compared with previously reported NPG materials prepared by dealloying. In addition, the large specific surface area and greater abundance of active sites of the NPG prepared by the SPRM led to excellent electrocatalytic ability toward the GOR under near-human-physiological conditions, which is desirable for the applications in glucose electrochemical sensors and fuel cells.