Nanocomposites of palladium nanoparticle-loaded mesoporous carbon nanospheres for the electrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide

Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) were loaded in situ on novel mesoporous carbon nanospheres (MCNs), which possess high specific surface area and large pore volume. The resulting Pd/MCNs hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By using Pd/MCNs as the catalyst matrices to modify the surface of glassy carbon electrode, a nonenzymatic sensor was developed for the determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and amperometry (at an applied potential of -0.30 V versus SCE) were used to study and optimize the performance of the electrochemical sensor. It was demonstrated that the sensor not only exhibits good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H2O2 but also has high sensitivity (307.5 mu A mM(-1) cm(-2)), low detection limit of 1.0 mu M, and wide linear response range from 7.5 mu M to 10 mM. Moreover, the sensor shows excellent stability and anti-interference capability for the detection of H2O2. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.