Pigeon-Excreta-Mediated Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO)/CuFe₂O₄ Nanocomposite and Its Catalytic Activity toward Sensitive and Selective Hydrogen Peroxide Detection

Abstract

A copper ferrite (CuFe2O4)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite was developed via a one-pot strategy by using environmentally favorable pigeon excreta as a reducing and stabilization agent. The obtained micrographs substantiated that the spherical-shaped CuFe2O4 nanostructures were uniformly anchored over the rGO sheets. The mechanism involved in the simultaneous reduction of GO sheets and Cu2+/Fe2+ ions by using the pigeon excreta is explicated with the number of structural characterizations. The electrocatalytic activities of as-prepared nanostructures for nonenzymatic H2O2 detection were evaluated under the neutral conditions. The as-prepared rGO/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite exhibited the high sensitivity of 265.57 μA mM–1 cm–2, low detection limit of 0.35 μM and wide linear range from 1 μM to 11 mM toward H2O2 sensing, because of the systematic arrangement of metallic active sites supported via the active rGO support. The robust structures developed in the prepared composite exhibited the excellent selectivity and stability, which allowed the reproducible assessement of H2O2 in human urine samples. These findings have not only showered salient insights on the environmentally favorable preparation of rGO-based composites but have also provided promising features for the prepared catalysts in nonenzymatic H2O2 sensors.