Gourd-shaped silver nanoparticle–graphene composite for electrochemical oxidation of glucose

Graphene nanosheets decorated with gourd-shaped Ag nanoparticles (GAg) were prepared from the precursor silver phosphate–graphene oxide nanocomposite (GOAgPO) by original substrate self-generated reduction methods. The material was studied for electrochemical oxidation of glucose in alkaline solution. GAg showed excellent activity at low peak potential. The reason was that the high temperature promoted transformation of GO to graphene, thereby reducing the resistance of the substrate, restructuring from the silver phosphate to gourd-shaped silver and enhancing the interaction between Ag and the substrate. The positive correlation between the scan rates and the anodic currents implied a diffusion-controlled kinetic process even at a high scan rate.

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► Graphene nanosheets decorated with gourd-shaped Ag nanoparticles were prepared by an original method.
► Gourd-shaped silver nanoparticle–graphene showed relatively high activity for glucose oxidation.
► Electro-oxidation of glucose was a diffusion-controlled process even at high scan rate.
► In-situ generated monolayer Ag2O clusters were regarded as the main active phase.