Reduced graphene oxide-supported gold dendrite for electrochemical sensing of acetaminophen

Abstract A new nanocomposite was developed based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) supported gold dendrite and applied for amperometric detection of acetaminophen. The RGO-gold dendrite composite was prepared by self-assembly of poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized gold dendrite and poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) functionalized RGO. The composite electrode material was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Ultraviolet-vis spectroscopy (UV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The RGO-gold dendrite composite exhibited enhanced conductivity, catalytic activity and stability for acetaminophen oxidation and determination. The RGO-gold dendrite based electrochemical sensor is competent for detecting acetaminophen with a linear range from 0.07 µM to 3000 µM with a detection limit of 0.005 µM (S/N = 3). Moreover, the sensor was applied for the detection of acetaminophen in tablets and urine samples, which holds great promise in pharmaceutical analysis.