A seed-mediated growth process for the fabrication of a novel gold nanoparticles-attached NH2+ ions implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode and its electrocatalytic activity

•Amino groups were introduced to the ITO surface by amino ions implantation.•A seed-mediated growth method for the fabrication of AuNPs/NH2/ITO and AuNPs/ITO.•NH2/ITO offered a good substrate for the attachment of AuNPs with higher density.•AuNPs/NH2/ITO displayed favorable electrocatalytic property toward uric acid.

A new type of gold nanoparticles-attached NH2+ ions implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode (AuNPs/NH2/ITO) was fabricated with a seed-mediated growth method. Amino ion implantation was performed at the energy of 80 keV with fluence of 2 × 1016 ions cm−2 for ITO film coated glass, forming the electrode NH2/ITO. The existence of amino groups on the electrode was verified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The attachment of AuNPs onto the surface of the NH2/ITO electrode was exhibited by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Comparing with the gold nanoparticles modified indium tin oxide (AuNPs/ITO), we found that ion implantation approach provided a useful strategy to attach AuNPs on the NH2/ITO surface with higher density. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that the AuNPs/NH2/ITO electrode showed excellent electrochemical properties and electrocatalytic effects toward some small biomolecules such as uric acid. The current response was increased linearly with increasing uric acid concentration in the range of 1.6 × 10−5 M to 2.6 × 10−4 M and the detection limit was found to be 4.8 × 10−6 M (S/N = 3). Thus this material is expected to have widely potential applications in electrochemical analysis and biosensors.

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