Three-dimensional loofah sponge derived amorphous carbon-graphene aerogel via one-pot synthesis for high-performance electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide and dopamine

Abstract

In this work, three-dimensional structured loofah sponge derived amorphous carbon-graphene aerogel (LSDC-GA) was firstly synthesized via one pot hydrothermal method. Graphene nanosheets are connected with each other to form a 3D porous structure, while LSDC nanosheets are randomly embedded between graphene layers without aggregation. Compared with GA and LSDC, LSDC-GA has the largest specific surface area of about 526.4 m2·g−1. The C and O elements of the hybrid LSDC-GA material are originating from reduced GO and LSDC, and the C/O atomic ratio was decreased in the order of LSDC > LSDC-GA > GA. LSDC-GA exhibits the smallest Rct value corresponding to 98.5 Ω, indicative of the excellent electrical conductivity. When applied in the electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the so-formed LSDC-GA electrode shows enhanced sensing properties with high sensitivity, a linear electrochemical range from 12 μM to 2.69 mM, a low detection limit of 1.2 µM, and satisfied selectivity, stability and reproducibility as well. Furthermore, for electrochemical biosensor application of dopamine (DA) detection, the LSDC-GA material also exhibits a linear electrochemical range of 2.5 μM–560 μM and a low limit down to 0.25 μM. These improved sensing performances enable it as promising electrode material for extensive electrochemical sensing applications.