Green Preparation of Cu Nanoparticles via Gallic Acid Applied to H2O2 Detection

Research into metal nanoparticles has increased, and they have been increasingly used in non-enzymatic sensor applications. However, there have been few reports on the use of natural products to prepare non-precious metal nanoparticles in an eco-friendly (green) manner. Studies were conducted on Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPs) prepared by the use of natural gallic acid (GA). This method is environmentally friendly and can be applied to H 2 O 2 detection. As-obtained Cu NPs were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When applied to H 2 O 2 detection, Cu NPs had good sensitivity, stability, and anti-interference properties. Its electrochemical performance is no less than that of precious metal nanomaterials. Cu NPs mainly exhibit good sensitivity, reaching 5.74 μA mM -1 cm -2 ; the concentration range thereof is 1–20 mM. The process of constructing nanoparticles in this work used natural products, making it environmentally friendly and proving the practicality of constructing non-precious metal nanoparticles and the feasibility of their application to H 2 O 2 detection. Graphic Abstract