Graphene based nanomaterials for electrochemical determination of biologically and chemically important molecules

Abstract

Nobel metal nanoparticles are zero dimensional nanomaterials with unique properties that arise newlinefrom its shape, size, structure and composition. They have high surface to volume ratio, newlineenhanced catalytic activity, and wide range of synthetic methods. However, they are costly and newlineless abundant. In order to generate low cost, sustainable and enhanced catalytic materials, these newlinenoble metal nanoparticles are mixed with nanomaterials such as amorphous carbon, graphene newlineand carbon nanotubes to produce nanohybrid materials or nanocomposites. The carbon supports newlinenot only enhance the properties of noble metal nanoparticles but also reduces the overall cost of newlinethe nanocomposite. newlineRecently graphene has been gaining immense importance by virtue of its superior physicochemical properties such as high thermal and electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, newlinegood mechanical and chemical stability, ease of functionalization and availability of many newlinechemical methods for its mass production. Graphene is made up of single atom think SP2 newlinehybridized carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal fashion. Graphene has also been combined with newlinethe noble metal nanoparticles to generate low cost nanocomposites with enhanced catalytic newlineactivity. Nanocomposite materials combine the physico-chemical properties of both the entities newlineand generate novel synergistic properties with enhanced catalytic activity that can be applied in newlinedeveloping electrochemical sensors for chemically and biologically important molecules. newlineNanocomposites also increase the mass transport of the analyte towards the catalyst in newlineelectrochemical reactions because of it high surface area. The novel properties of the newlinenanocomposites have one or several of their functions used in the development of newlineelectrochemical sensors for multiple analysis in biological samples. newline