Novel snowflake-like Pt–Pd bimetallic clusters on screen-printed gold nanofilm electrode for H2O2 and glucose sensing

Novel snowflake-like Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoclusters (Pt–PdBNC) were synthesized on a screen-printed gold nanofilm electrode (SPGFE) substrate by electrochemically reducing precursors with a new constant potential/multi-potential step deposition strategy. The electrocatalytic behavior of the modified electrode (SPGFE/Pt–PdBNC) towards H2O2 was investigated. The results indicate that the as-prepared Pt–PdBNC significantly enhances the electrochemical reduction of H2O2 in neutral media, exhibiting preferable electrocatalytic performance compared to Pt and Pd monometallic nanoclusters. Under optimum conditions, SPGFE/Pt–PdBNC offers linear responses for H2O2 in the concentration range from 0.005 to 6 mM with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 804 mA M−1 cm−2 and excellent selectivity. Furthermore, glucose oxidase was immobilized on the Pt–PdBNC structure, and the fabricated biosensor presents favorable properties for glucose sensing.

► Novel 3D Pt–Pd bimetallic nanoclusters (Pt–PdBNC) on a gold nanofilm substrate.
► as-prepared SPGFE/Pt–PdBNC significantly enhances the reduction of H2O2.
► Enzyme-free sensor exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity for H2O2 detection.
► Fabricated GOx biosensor shows favorable performance for glucose sensing.