A nonenzymatic electrochemical nitrite sensor based on Pt nanoparticles loaded Ni(OH)2/multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

•Pt/Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs nanocomposites were synthesized by employing Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs as the catalyst support.•The coating of Ni(OH)2 onto MWCNTs improved the specific surface area of the nanohybrids for metals nanoparticles growth.•This sensor exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic performance for nitrite detection.

In this paper, a sensitive novel non-enzymatic nitrite electrochemical sensor based on Pt nanoparticles loaded Ni(OH)2/Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes nanocomposites (Pt/Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs) was described. The composition and morphology of the Pt/Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs were characterized by transmission electron microscope and investigated energy dispersive X-ray spectra respectively. Results showed that the Pt nanoparticles could be anchored on the surface of the Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs uniformly through a simple reduction process. The electrochemical investigation of the sensor revealed that the Pt/Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs exhibited remarkable electrocatalytic performance toward nitrite oxidation, with a sensitivity of 145 μA mM− 1 cm− 2 and a low detection limit of 0.13 mM. Moreover, the obtained Pt/Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs modified GCE with excellent reproducibility and selectivity also allows for practical application. It is expected that the combination of noble metal with Ni(OH)2/MWCNTs could be expanded to enhance the catalytic performances of nanocomposites and used for the construction of high-sensitive electrochemical sensors.

Graphical abstractThe combination of Ni(OH)2 and MWCNTs was used as an effective supporting substrate for the loading of Pt nanoparticles.Download high-res image (100KB)Download full-size image