Au NPs/ITO prepared by dopamine reduction and its application in glucose sensing

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited directly on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate using the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method by chemically reducing precursor metal salts with dopamine aqueous solution. The Au NPs decorated on the ITO substrate were approximately spherical, with an average particle size of about 40 nm, which varied in accordance with different SILAR cycles, reactant concentrations, and intermediate media. Strong surface plasma resonance characteristics were confirmed by the surface-enhanced Raman scattering and absorption spectra of the Au NPs. Through this simple method, glucose sensors based on this kind of Au NPs/ITO exhibited a sensitivity of 524 μA mM −1  cm −2 , which is higher than any other similar study.