Cost-Effective Three-Dimensional Graphene/Ag Aerogel Composite for High-Performance Sensing

A cost-effective new approach was developed for the fabrication of a three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide/Ag nanoparticle composite, where Ag nanoparticles of 18.0 +/- 1.8 nm in diameter were uniformly dispersed throughout a reduced graphene oxide aerogel. When used as a non-enzymatic sensor, the composite demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance toward the detection of H2O2, i. e. a broad linear range of 0.016-27 mmol L-1, high sensitivity of 419.7 mA mmol(-1) L cm(-2), low detection limit of 6.8 mmol L-1 and superior selectivity against impurities such as citric acid, ascorbic acid and glucose. The superior performance is ascribed to the large interfacial area provided by the three-dimensional aerogel and the enhanced electron transfer by a great number of the fine Ag nanopaticles uniformly dispersed throughout the aerogel. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.