Development of highly sensitive H₂O₂ redox sensor from electrodeposited tellurium nanoparticles using ionic liquid

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a crucial analyte in various biological and industrial processes.
• Development of sensitive, selective, and cost-effective H₂O₂ sensors is of significant interest.
• Existing sensors may face limitations in terms of cost, stability, or sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, non-enzymatic, and low-cost sensor for the analytical determination of H₂O₂.
• To synthesize and characterize tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) for electrochemical sensing applications.
• To evaluate the electro-catalytic performance and sensing capabilities of the TeNPs-based sensor.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical deposition of TeNPs on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate using an ionic liquid.
• Characterization of TeNPs using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Electrochemical performance evaluation using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA) for H₂O₂ detection.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and electrodeposition of TeNPs on FTO substrate.
• TeNPs/FTO sensor fabricated at -1.40 V exhibited excellent electro-catalytic activity for H₂O₂ reduction.
• Achieved high sensitivity (757 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²), good selectivity, stability, and a rapid response time (5 µs).

Conclusions:

• The proposed TeNPs/FTO sensor is a promising, cost-effective, and efficient platform for H₂O₂ determination.
• The non-enzymatic electrochemical approach offers advantages for H₂O₂ sensing.
• The developed sensor shows potential for application in analyzing practical samples containing H₂O₂.