Graphene Oxide Bulk-Modified Screen-Printed Electrodes Provide Beneficial Electroanalytical Sensing Capabilities
Samuel J Rowley-Neale1, Dale A C Brownson1, Graham Smith2
1Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.
Biosensors
|March 25, 2020
Summary
We developed an economical method to mass-produce graphene oxide (GO) modified screen-printed electrodes (GO-SPEs). These GO-SPEs show enhanced electrocatalytic activity for dopamine and uric acid detection, with improved sensitivity and lower detection limits.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are widely used in electrochemical sensing.
- Graphene oxide (GO) possesses unique electrochemical properties beneficial for sensor development.
- Developing cost-effective and scalable methods for GO-modified SPEs is crucial for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile and economical mass-production methodology for graphene oxide (GO) bulk-modified screen-printed electrodes (GO-SPEs).
- To investigate the electrocatalytic effect of varying GO concentrations on SPEs for enhanced analytical performance.
- To evaluate the performance of GO-SPEs for the detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of GO-SPEs with varying mass percentages of GO (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10%) incorporated into carbon ink.
- Electrochemical characterization of bare SPEs and GO-SPEs using standard electroanalytical probes.
- Optimization of GO loading for maximum electrocatalytic activity and sensitivity.
Main Results:
- GO incorporation significantly enhances the electrocatalytic effect towards DA and UA compared to bare SPEs.
- The optimum GO mass ratio (10% GO/90% carbon ink) yielded an electroanalytical signal approximately 10 times greater than bare SPEs.
- 10% GO-SPEs demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) for DA of ca. 81 nM, a substantial improvement over bare SPEs (ca. 780 nM).
Conclusions:
- The developed methodology offers a simple, scalable, and cost-effective approach for producing highly reproducible GO-SPEs.
- The enhanced analytical response is attributed to the oxygenated species on GO nanosheets facilitating electrocatalysis.
- GO-SPEs exhibit significant potential for commercial and medicinal applications requiring sensitive electrochemical detection.
