Electrochemical Detection with Platinum Decorated Carbon Nanomaterials

Here we performed amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), chemically converted graphene (CCG), and sulfonated CCG (CCG-S) decorated with Pt nanoparticles (NPs). Although all three systems demonstrated similar detection limits for H(2)O(2), compared to the other two nanomaterials, Pt-SWNTs provided a higher sensitivity with only half of the Pt amount. This result was consistent with cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and field-effect transistor measurements. We attribute the higher sensitivity of Pt-SWNTs to both the surface roughness of the electrode and the intimate contact between Pt NPs and one-dimensional nanostructures (SWNTs) versus two-dimensional nanostructures (graphene).