Hydroxyphenol compounds are often used as reductants in controlling the growth of nanoparticles. Herein, dopamine was used as an effective reductant in seed-mediated synthesis of gold nanorods (GNRs). The as-prepared GNRs (83 × 16 nm) were monodisperse and had a high degree of purity. The conversion ratio from gold ions to GNRs was around 80%. In addition, dopamine worked as an additive. At a very low concentration of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB; 0.025 M), thinner and shorter GNRs (60 × 9 nm) were successfully prepared. By regulating the concentration of silver ions, CTAB, seeds, and reductant, GNRs with longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks ranging from 680 to 1030 nm were synthesized. The growth process was tracked using UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, and it was found that a slow growth rate was beneficial to the formation of GNRs.
Unique structured nanomaterials can facilitate the direct electron transfer between redox proteins and the electrodes. Here, in situ directed growth on an electrode of a ZnO/Cu nanocomposite was prepared by a simple corrosion approach, which enables robust mechanical adhesion and electrical contact between the nanostructured ZnO and the electrodes. This is great help to realize the direct electron transfer between the electrode surface and the redox protein. SEM images demonstrate that the morphology of the ZnO/Cu nanocomposite has a large specific surface area, which is favorable to immobilize the biomolecules and construct biosensors. Using glucose oxidase (GOx) as a model, this ZnO/Cu nanocomposite is employed for immobilization of GOx and the construction of the glucose biosensor. Direct electron transfer of GOx is achieved at ZnO/Cu nanocomposite with a high heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant of 0.67 ± 0.06 s(-1). Such ZnO/Cu nanocomposite provides a good matrix for direct electrochemistry of enzymes and mediator-free enzymatic biosensors.
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