Preparation of TiO2-Pt hybrid nanofibers and their application for sensitive hydrazine detection

The TiO2-Pt hybrid nanofibers with an average dia. 72.6 nm were fabricated by electrospinning poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-ethanol solution containing platinum acetate and titanium tetraisopropoxide, followed by calcination in air at 500 °C for 3 h. High resolution TEM showed that Pt nanoparticles with an average diameter of ∼2 nm were well dispersed in the anatase TiO2 nanofibers. Compared to pristine TiO2 nanofibers (average dia. 67.7 nm), the incorporation of Pt nanoparticles into TiO2 nanofibers can greatly enhance the oxidation of hydrazine in neutral solution. The amperometric hydrazine sensor, using the as-prepared TiO2-Pt hybrid nanofibers as the electrochemical catalyst, shows a wide linear range (up to 1.03 mM), a good limit of detection (0.142 µM), and a high sensitivity of 44.42 µA mM(-1) cm(-2). In addition, the excellent anti-interference property, free of matrix effect from real water samples and good reproducibility make the developed hydrazine sensor promising for real applications.