Thermally reduced graphene oxide: The study and use for reagentless amperometric d-fructose biosensors

Abstract

Aiming to create reagentless amperometric d-fructose biosensor, graphene based electrode materials have been synthesized by newly proposed thermal reduction of graphene oxide. The method allowed to separate and collect different fractions of thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO) with different physicochemical properties. The structural characteristics and surface morphologies of TRGO fractions were evaluated using SEM, XRD, TGA analysis, Raman spectroscopy and BET measurements. Three different fractions of TRGO were tested as electrode materials for d-fructose amperometric biosensors. The direct electron transfer (DET) from the active site of d-fructose dehydrogenase (FDH) to the electrode was achieved with all TRGO fractions. High values of the sensitivity (up to 14.5μAmM−1cm−2) are of the same order as these for other d-fructose sensors based on the synergistic mediated processes. The relationships between the structure of TRGO fractions and the molecular processes determining the effect of DET in bioelectrocatalysis by FDH have been studied. Stability of the d-fructose biosensors was also assessed. The best results were achieved when immobilization of FDH was performed using a crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. For the best group, after a period of 5 days the sensitivity of the biosensor for D-fructose determination decreased by less than 20%.