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Ultrafine α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals anchored on N-doped graphene: a nanomaterial with long hole diffusion length and efficient visible light-excited charge separation for use in photoelectrochemical sensing

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Abstract

The authors have coupled ultrafine α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals to N-doped graphene (NG) to obtain a novel material for use in a photoelectrode. The presence of NG is shown to strongly affect the morphology and size of the α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals formed on the NG sheets, and to improve their photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity. Interestingly, the PEC performance of the nanocomposite is closely correlated to the size of the α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals in that small nanocrystals display better PEC properties. The photocurrent of α-Fe2O3-NG is nearly 3.3-fold stronger than that of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals. Based on the remarkable PEC performance of this nanocomposite, a PEC sensor was constructed for the sensitive determination of 1,4-dihydroxybenzene (HQ). Its photocurrent increases with the HQ concentration in the range from 3.0 nM to 3.3 μM, and the detection limit is 1.0 nM (at an S/N ratio of 3). In our perception, the study presented here can serve as a basis for a better understanding of the relationship between morphologies and PEC performance of such nanomaterials. Conceivably, it may be extended to other PEC sensing system and to other fields associated with nanotechnology.

Ultrafine α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were prepared via coupling with N-doped graphene (NG) substances (α-Fe2O3-NG). They exhibit superior photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance and have been successfully utilized for PEC-based sensing.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21375050, 21505055 and 21675066), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu province (No. BK20150486), a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (No. PAPD-2014-37), Qing Lan Project and Innovation Project of Science and Technology for Graduates of Jiangsu University (No. KYLX16_0907).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Modern Agriculture Equipment and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Liming Dai, Xiaojiao Du, Wei Chen, Mingyue Zhu & Kun Wang

  2. School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China

    Ding Jiang

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  1. Liming Dai
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  2. Xiaojiao Du
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  3. Ding Jiang
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  4. Wei Chen
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  6. Kun Wang
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Correspondence to Kun Wang.

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Liming Dai and Xiaojiao Du contributed equally to this work.

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Dai, L., Du, X., Jiang, D. et al. Ultrafine α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals anchored on N-doped graphene: a nanomaterial with long hole diffusion length and efficient visible light-excited charge separation for use in photoelectrochemical sensing. Microchim Acta 184, 137–145 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1989-y

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