Ternary composite of hemin, gold nanoparticles and graphene for highly efficient decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

A ternary composite of hemin, gold nanoparticles and graphene is prepared by a two-step process. Firstly, graphene-hemin composite is synthesized through π-π interaction and then hydrogen tetracholoroauric acid is reduced in situ by ascorbic acid. This ternary composite shows a higher catalytic activity for decomposition of hydrogen peroxide than that of three components alone or the mixture of three components. The Michaelis constant of this composite is 5.82 times lower and the maximal reaction velocity is 1.81 times higher than those of horseradish peroxidase, respectively. This composite also shows lower apparent activation energy than that of other catalysts. The excellently catalytic performance could be attributed to the fast electron transfer on the surface of graphene and the synergistic interaction of three components, which is further confirmed by electrochemical characterization. The ternary composite has been used to determine hydrogen peroxide in three real water samples with satisfactory results.