Nano-structured Ni(II)-curcumin modified glassy carbon electrode for electrocatalytic oxidation of fructose

A nano-structured Ni(II)-curcumin (curcumin: 1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) film is electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode in alkaline solution. The morphology of polyNi(II)-curcumin (NC) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM results show NC has a nano-globular structure in the range 20-50 nm. Using cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, steady-state polarization measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the nano-structure NC film acts as an efficient material for the electrocatalytic oxidation of fructose. According to the voltammetric studies, the increase in the anodic peak current and subsequent decrease in the corresponding cathodic current, fructose was oxidized on the electrode surface via an electrocatalytic mechanism. The EIS results show that the charge-transfer resistance has as a function of fructose concentration, time interval and applied potential. The increase in the fructose concentration and time interval in fructose solution results in enhanced charge transfer resistance in Nyquist plots. The EIS results indicate that fructose electrooxidation at various potentials shows different impedance behaviors. At lower potentials, a semicircle is observed in the first quadrant of impedance plot. With further increase of the potential, a transition of the semicircle from the first to the second quadrant occurs. Also, the results obtained show that the rate of fructose electrooxidation depends on concentration of OH-. Electron transfer coefficient, diffusion coefficient and rate constant of the electrocatalytic oxidation reaction are obtained. The modified electrode was used as a sensor for determination of fructose with a good dynamic range and a low detection limit. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.