A Two-step Electrodeposition of Pd-Cu/Cu2O Nanocomposite on FTO Substrate for Non-enzymatic Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor

Background: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a common reagent in the production and living, but excessive H2O2 may enhance the danger to the human body. Consequently, it is very important to develop economical, fast and accurate techniques for detecting H2O2. Methods: A simple two-step electrodeposition process was applied to synthesize Pd-Cu/Cu2O nanocomposite for non-enzymatic H2O2 sensor. Cu/Cu2O nanomaterial was firstly electrodeposited on FTO by potential oscillation technique, and then Pd nanoparticles were electrodeposited on Cu/Cu2O nanomaterial by cyclic voltammetry. The chemical structure, component, and morphology of the synthesized Pd-Cu/Cu2O nanocomposite were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical properties of Pd-Cu/Cu2O nanocomposite were studied by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. Results: Under optimal conditions, the as-fabricated sensor displayed a broad linear range (5-4000 µM) and low detection limit (1.8 µM) for the determination of H2O2. The proposed sensor showed good selectivity and reproducibility. Meanwhile, the proposed sensor has been successfully applied to detect H2O2 in milk. Conclusion: The Pd-Cu/Cu2O/FTO biosensor exhibits excellent electrochemical activity for H2O2 reduction, which has great potential application in the field of food safety.