Synthesis and enhanced electrochemical properties of AuNPs@MoS2/rGO hybrid structures for highly sensitive nitrite detection

The electrochemical nitrite sensors based on nanomaterials have attracted great attention because of their destructive effect on both environment and human health. Herein, gold nanoparticles modified molybdenum disulfide and reduced graphene oxide ([email protected]2/rGO) based nitrite sensor has been proposed combing a facile hydrothermal and chemical reduction methods. To optimize the electrochemical performances, the as-fabricated [email protected]2/rGO sensors with different contents of gold have been systematic investigated toward nitrite detection by cyclic voltammograms and amperometry techniques. The measured results demonstrated that the as-prepared Au4.5[email protected]2/rGO sensor exhibits high sensitivity (0.805 μA·μM−1·cm−2), short response time (3 s), low detection limit (0.038 μM (S/N = 3)) and good linear detection range (0.2 μM-2600 μM). Meanwhile, it also displays excellent selectivity and good long-term stability toward nitrite. Finally, the excellent electrochemical performances of Au4.5[email protected]2/rGO nitrite sensor not only can be attributed to the synergistic effect between MoS2 and rGO nanosheets, but also ascribed to the excellent catalytic property of suitable content of Au nanoparticles.