Low temperature thermal treatment of hexamethylenetetramine to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon for non-enzymatic H2O2 sensing

Nitrogen-doped carbon (N-carbon) materials have been prepared by low temperature (300 °C) heat treatment of hexamethylenetetramine in air. The combined characterizations of X-ray diffraction pattern, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate the successful preparation of N-carbon materials. Most importantly, the N-carbon exhibits catalytic activity toward electrochemical reduction of H2O2, leading to a novel metal-free non-enzymatic H2O2 sensor. The linear detection range is estimated to be from 0.1 mM to 40 mM (r = 0.996), and the detection limit is estimated to be 90 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.