Electrodeposition of three-dimensionally assembled platinum spheres on a gold-coated silicon wafer, and its application to nonenzymatic sensing of glucose

We report on a method of single-step electrodeposition of three-dimensionally (3-D) assembled Pt spheres on a gold-coated silicon wafer. The 3-D interconnected Pt spheres could be electrodeposited by applying a negative potential (-0.8 V, vs. Ag/AgCl) in neutral electrolytes containing KClO4. The application of such a negative potential is not possible in acidic solutions because of the formation of hydrogen. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the seed Pt particles first grew to a certain size, and then form Pt spheres interconnected in multiple layers. The resulting 3-D assembled Pt sphere structures warrants a high surface area, and this property was utilized for the selective and sensitive amperometric determination of glucose at a working potential of 0.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), at near neutral pH values and in the presence of 0.1 M chloride. This straightforward method for the fabrication of 3-D assembled Pt sphere structures offers new opportunities for electroanalytical and electrocatalytic sensing based on porous Pt surfaces.