Silver nanoparticles-decorated reduced graphene oxide: A novel peroxidase-like activity nanomaterial for development of a colorimetric glucose biosensor

Abstract In this study, we present a novel approach to prepare of a colorimetric chemical sensor for H2O2 and a glucose biosensor basing on the use of peroxidase-like activity of silver nanoparticles decorated on reduced graphene oxide sheets (AgNPs@rGO) nanocomposite. Herein, AgNPs@rGO nanocomposite was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal reducing method and its physico-chemical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Obtained evaluation results shown that the synthesized AgNPs/rGO nanocomposite has performed an efficient peroxidase-like activity for the oxidation of 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMBred) by H2O2, leading to the oxidized form (TMBox) which presents a typical blue color (maximum of absorbance at λmax = 655 nm). A colorimetric assay for H2O2 detection was designed and fabricated with a limit of detection of 20 μM. Moreover, we have used of AgNPs/rGO nanocomposite combining with glucose oxidase (GOx) to develop of a colorimetric glucose biosensor with a low limit of detection of 40 μM and a linear dynamic range from 125 μM to 1 mM. This glucose test was applied to the detection of glucose in human serum samples.