Electrochemical determination of paracetamol based on Au@graphene core-shell nanoparticles doped conducting polymer PEDOT nanocomposite

Conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) possesses high electrical conductivity but limited catalytic activity, and doping with suitable nanomaterial to fabricate multifunctional electrical substrate is an ideal approach to broaden the application of PEDOT. Herein, Au@graphene (AG) core-shell nanoparticles with high conductivity, catalytic activity and stability, were synthesized and doped into PEDOT to build PEDOT/AG nanocomposite material by a facile electrodeposition method. The PEDOT/AG composite exhibited high conductivity and excellent catalytic activity toward the redox of paracetamol, and owing to the presence of AG nanoparticles, the electrochemical signals and peak profiles of paracetamol at the PEDOT/AG modified electrode were significantly improved. Under optimum conditions, the PEDOT/AG modified electrode exhibited high sensitivity to paracetamol over a wide linear range of concentrations from 0.15 μM to 5.88 mM, with a detection limit of 41 nM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the fabricated sensor exhibited high selectivity and long-term stability, and was capable of detecting paracetamol in real pharmaceutical samples with satisfying accuracy.