Application of Black Phosphorus Nanosheets Modified Electrode for Electrochemical Determination of Ascorbic Acid

Abstract

Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNS) were synthesized through liquid exfoliation method coupling with ultrasonication. The synthesized BPNS were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, size-distribution analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that few layers BP nanosheets with an average lateral size of 240 nm were obtained. BPNS modified glassy carbon electrode (BPNS/GCE) was fabricated, and used to study the electrochemical reaction of ascorbic acid (AA). The oxidation current of AA increased nearly 6-times and the oxidation potential was negatively shifted compared with the bare GCE, which should be result from the large surface area and good charge transfer ability of BPNS film. Several impacting factors including the amount of modified BPNS, the pH value, and the potential scan rate, were investigated. Under the optimal condition, differential pulse voltammetry was used to detect AA in the range of 1–35 nM with a detection limit of 0.3 nM. The obtained results revealed the potential electrochemical sensing application of BP nanomaterials, which should promote the further analytical application of two-dimensional nanomaterials.