In situ plasma sputtering synthesis of ZnO nanorods–Ag nanoparticles hybrids and their application in non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensing

In this paper, ZnO nanorods–Ag nanoparticles hybrids were first synthesized via a facile, rapid, and in situ plasma sputtering method without using any silver precursor. The obtained materials were then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Based on the electrochemical catalytic properties of the obtained nanohybrids, a non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide biosensor was constructed by immobilizing the obtained ZnO nanorods–Ag nanoparticles hybrids on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode. Under optimal conditions, the resulting biosensor displayed a good response for H₂O₂ with a linear range of 0.2 to 12.8 mM, and a detection limit of 7.8 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. In addition, it exhibited excellent anti-interference ability and fast response. The current work provides a feasible platform to fabricate a variety of non-enzymatic biosensors. (paper)