One-step and rapid synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene for hydrogen peroxide and glucose sensing

•N, S co-doped graphene (NS–G) was synthesized by a rapid and one-step method.•The prepared NS–G had a high doping level of N (6.8 at.%) and S (2.1 at.%).•NS–G outperformed N, S mono-doped or undoped graphene in H2O2 reduction.•NS–G showed good sensing performances for H2O2 and glucose detection.•NS–G might be a promising electrode material for electrochemical sensing.

Nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) heteroatoms co-doping has been confirmed to be an effective strategy to significantly promote the electrocatalytic activity of graphene. However, developing N, S co-doped graphene (NS–G) with a high doping level at low cost remains a great challenge. Meanwhile, NS–G has rarely been investigated for electrochemical sensing. Here, a one-step and cost-effective microwave-assisted solvothermal method was developed to synthesize NS–G having a high N, S-doping level (N: 6.8 at.%, S: 2.1 at.%). When employed as an electrocatalyst for H2O2 reduction, NS–G exhibited a higher electrocatalytic activity than its undoped or mono-doped counterparts due to the synergistic effect of N, S co-doping. Consequently, the sensors based on NS–G displayed good sensing performances for sensitive detection of H2O2 (0.1–16.6 mM in linear range, 0.2 μM in detection limit) and glucose (0.1–12.6 mM, 0.5 μM), demonstrating the potential application of NS–G for electrochemical sensing.

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