Facile synthesis of CeO2 decorated Ni(OH)2 hierarchical composites for enhanced electrocatalytic sensing of H2O2

CeO2-Ni(OH)(2) composites with hierarchical structures were synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal method, which were constructed with Ni(OH)(2) nanosheets decorated with in situ formed CeO2 nanoparticles on their surface. The composites were characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical techniques. The results of nitrogen adsorption-desorption, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and amperometry demonstrated that CeO2 and Ni(OH)(2) components of CeO2-Ni(OH)(2) hierarchical architectures showed a synergistic contribution on the improvement of electrochemical activity toward H2O2. The oxidation current was linearly related to the H2O2 concentration from 0.5 mu M to 1.2 mM. The sensor showed a high sensitivity of 4.5 mu A mu M-1 cm(-2) with a lower detection limit of 0.035 mu M (S/N = 3). Moreover, the sensor showed good selectivity, reproducibility and stability. These results demonstrated the feasibility of the synthetic strategy and the potential of the composites as a promising candidate for H2O2 sensing.