Electrochemical determination of dopamine in the presence of uric acid using palladium-loaded mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Amino-group functionalized mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple solvothermal method. Palladium (Pd)-loaded amino-group functionalized mesoporous Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Pd@Fe3O4) were prepared with ethanol as the reductant. Pd@Fe3O4 modified the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited excellent electrochemical catalytic activities towards dopamine (DA) due to the synergetic effect between Pd and Fe3O4. Electrochemical behavior of Pd@Fe3O4/GCE towards DA was studied using square wave voltammetry and the selective determination of DA was carried out successfully at high concentration of uric acid. A wide concentration range (0.96-107 μmol/L) and low detection limit (0.41 μmol/L, S/N = 3) for the determination of DA were obtained. The advantageous properties of this electrode for the DA determination lie in its excellent catalytic activity, selectivity and simplicity. The prepared sensor had been applied to the analysis of DA in human serum samples with satisfactory results.