One-Step Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots With Anodic Electrochemiluminescence for Sensitive Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide and Glucose

Abstract

Simple and efficient synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with anodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) remains a great challenge. Herein, we present an anodic ECL-sensing platform based on nitrogen-doped GQDs (N-GQDs), which enables sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glucose. N-GQDs are easily prepared using one-step molecular fusion between carbon precursor and a dopant in an alkaline hydrothermal process. The synthesis is simple, green, and has high production yield. The as-prepared N-GQDs exhibit a single graphene-layered structure, uniform size, and good crystalline. In the presence of H2O2, N-GQDs possess high anodic ECL activity owing to the functional hydrazide groups. With N-GQDs being ECL probes, sensitive detection of H2O2 in the range of 0.3–100.0 μM with a limit of detection or LOD of 63 nM is achieved. As the oxidation of glucose catalyzed by glucose oxidase (GOx) produces H2O2, sensitive detection of glucose is also realized in the range of 0.7–90.0 μM (LOD of 96 nM).