Synthesis of Ag nanoparticles-decorated poly(m-phenylenediamine) hollow spheres and the application for hydrogen peroxide detection

• Poly(m-phenylenediamine) (PmPD) hollow spheres were synthesized for the first time.
• Ag nanoparticle (AgNP) was reduced on the hollow spheres PmPD.
• The AgNP-PmPD exhibit remarkable catalytic performance toward H2O2 reduction.
• It is the first demonstration of using AgNP-PmPD for enzymeless H2O2 detection.
• This provides a promising approach to prepare polymer-based nanoelectrocatalysts.

Poly(m-phenylenediamine) (PmPD) hollow spheres were synthesized for the first time via chemical polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (mPD) monomers by using ammonium persulfate (APS) as the oxidizing agent in 10 °C. Ag nanoparticles (AgNP) was reduced on the hollow spheres PmPD by an AgNO3 aqueous solution in the presence of NaBH4. The Ag nanoparticle-decorated poly(m-phenylenediamine) colloids (AgNP-PmPD) exhibit remarkable catalytic performance toward H2O2 reduction. The corresponding line arrange and detection limit are estimated to be from 0.1 mM to 10 mM (r = 0.999) and 0.88 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

The SEM images of the PmPD hollow spheres after reducing of AgNO3. Cyclic voltammetries (CVs) of bare GCE, PmPD/GCE, AgNP-PmPD/GCE electrode in 0.1 M PBS at pH 7.5 in the presence of 0.1 M H2O2 (scan rate: 100 mV s−1).Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide