Synthesis of a graphene-carbon nanotube composite and its electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Graphene, whose structure consists of a single layer of sp 2-hybridized carbon atoms, provides an excellent platform for designing composite nanomaterials. In this study, we have demonstrated a facile process to synthesize graphene-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite. The graphene-MWCNT composite material is endowed with a large electrochemical surface area and fast electron transfer properties in Fe(CN) 6 3-/4- redox species. A graphene-MWCNT composite modified electrode exhibits good performance in terms of the electrocatalytic reduction of H 2O 2; a sensor constructed from such an electrode shows a good linear dependence on H 2O 2 concentration in the range of 2 × 10 -5 to 2.1 × 10 -3 mol L -1. The detection limit is estimated to be 9.4 × 10 -6 mol L -1. This study provides a new kind of composite modified electrode for electrochemical sensors. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All Rights Reserved.