Low-cost and environment-friendly synthesis of carbon nanorods assembled hierarchical meso-macroporous carbons networks aerogels from natural apples for the electrochemical determination of ascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide

In this work, the low-cost carbon nanorods assembled hierarchical meso-macroporous carbons networks aerogels (CNs-HMCNAs) was environment-friendly synthesized from a cheap and abundant biomass of apples ( Malus pumila Mill ) for the first time. The biomass of apples derived CNs-HMCNAs exhibited the unique hierarchical meso-macroporous structure with large specific surface area and high density of edge defective sites. At the CNs-HMCNAs modified GCE (CNs-HMCNAs/GCE), the electron transfer between the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and the ascorbic acid (AA) (or hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )) was effectively enhanced, and thus induced a low overvoltage for AA electrooxidation (or H 2 O 2 electroreduction). As an electrochemical AA (or H 2 O 2 ) sensor, the CNs-HMCNAs/GCE exhibited wider linear range, lower detection limit, higher sensitivity and stability than GCE and the carbon nanotubes modified GCE (CNTs/GCE). In particular, the CNs-HMCNAs/GCE showed great potential feasibility in the practical determination of AA (in AA injection, Vitamin C tablet and kiwi juice) or H 2 O 2 (in human urine, milk and beer).