ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Novel synthesis of AuPt bimetallic nanocubes combined with graphene quantum dots for non-enzymatic sensor of glucose determination by electrochemical method

Tran Thi Bich Quyen, Phan Ngoc Thien Trang, Nguyen Nhu Huynh, Ngo Nguyen Tra My, Duy Toan Pham, Bui Le Anh Tuan, and Le Thanh Nguyen Huynh

Nano-Electrochemistry Laboratory, Room 2.18, CTU Hi-Tech Building (ATL), College of Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho City, Vietnam

E-mail: ttbquyen@ctu.edu.vn

Received: 30 August 2023  Accepted: 26 November 2023

Abstract:

In this study, AuPt bimetallic nanocubes (AuPt NCBs) were successfully combined with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) by a simple and easy-to-implement method at 80 °C for 90 min. In particular, graphene quantum dots were synthesized by hydrothermal method at 190 °C for 8 h, using raw material from wheat flour which is eco-friendly, available and abundant in nature. Besides, AuPt bimetallic nanocubes in the form of AuPt core/shell nanocubes (AuPt NCBs) were generated from the reaction at 140 °C for 2 h by hydrothermal method. Furthermore, the synthesized AuPt NCBs/GQDs nanocomposites were also characterized, shape, size and composition by: UV–vis, FTIR, XRD, TEM, EDX, XPS, and AFM. The obtained results show that the Au nanocubes (Au NCBs) have an average size of ~ 39 nm; while, the average size of AuPt NCBs and GQDs are ~ 40–44 and  ~ 3–5 nm, respectively. In addition, AuPt NCBs/GQDs nanocomposites were also used as non-enzymatic catalysts for the oxidation/reduction of glucose by cyclic voltammetry technique. The obtained results indicated that the AuPt NCBs/GQDs nanocomposites have high catalytic activity and are capable of detecting glucose in a wide concentration range from 10⁻¹² to 1 M, with an extremely low limit of detection of concentration glucose levels (~ 10⁻¹² M). Therefore, AuPt NCBs/GQDs are novel and promising materials that can be applied as catalysts with high activity oriented to many fields such as environmental treatment, fuel energy cells, or sensors to make bio-chip devices for early diagnosis of serious diseases such as diabetes, gout or cancer, etc., in present and the future.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Au nanocubes; AuPt bimetallic nanocubes; AuPt bimetallic nanocubes/graphene quantum dots; Wheat flour; Electrochemical method; Glucose

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-03233-0

Chemical Papers 78 (4) 2235–2246 (2024)