Platinum nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotube clusters on screen-printed gold nanofilm electrode for enhanced electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide

In the present study the electrocatalytic behavior of platinum nanoparticle-decorated multi-walled carbon nanotube clusters vertically aligned on a screen-printed gold nanofilm electrode substrate (SPGFE/MWCNTC/PtNP) toward hydrogen peroxide was intensively investigated. Oriented multi-walled carbon nanotube clusters (MWCNTC) were firstly well-organized onto the screen-printed gold film electrode (SPGFE) surface by covalent immobilization, and then platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) dispersed on the MWCNTC structure were in situ synthesized by electrochemically reducing chloroplatinic acid. It was demonstrated that the MWCNTC/PtNP hybrid structure on the SPGFE substrate could significantly enhance the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide in neutral solutions. Compared with platinum nanoparticles loading on disordered multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SPGFE/MWCNT/PtNP), the proposed SPGFE/MWCNTC/PtNP exhibited more sensitive responses for hydrogen peroxide reduction. The fabricated electrode provided linear current responses for hydrogen peroxide in the concentration range from 5 to 2000 μM with a detection limit of 1.23 μM. The non-enzymatic sensor also offered good reproducibility and high selectivity for hydrogen peroxide detection. The carbon nanotube cluster/platinum nanoparticle hybrid system holds great promise as a scaffold to fabricate enzyme biosensors.

► MWCNTC were vertically immobilized on the SPGFE surface by self-assembly.
► MWCNTC were then decorated with well-dispersed PtNP.
► SPGFE/MWCNTC/PtNP could significantly enhance the electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2.
► SPGFE/MWCNTC/PtNP exhibited higher sensitivity and excellent selectivity.
► The fabricated electrode holds great promise to develop novel enzyme biosensors.