Non-noble metal Bi/BiVO4 photoanode for surface plasmon resonance-induced photoelectrochemical biosensor of hydrogen peroxide detection.

Non-noble metal for surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-induced nano-enzymatic photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensors is a promising method for broad applications. Non-noble metal bismuth (Bi) is gradually being valued for their properties such as non-toxicity, abundant reserves, and good catalysis. Meanwhile, metallic Bi nanoparticles (NPs) have superior SPR properties similar to that of noble metal. Therefore, a non-noble metal Bi/BiVO₄ photoanode based on SPR was designed for the PEC detection of H₂O₂ in this work. The synergistic effect of BiVO₄ with suitable band gap (2.5 eV) and Bi NPs with superior SPR effectively reduces the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, which significantly improves the PEC activity of Bi/BiVO₄ electrode at low voltage. The in situ Bi/BiVO₄/FTO photoelectrode not only exhibits a more comprehensive linear range of 0.005–2.6 mM with a lower detection limit of 2.0 μM but also possesses excellent selectivity for the determination of H₂O₂ because the coexisting substances are difficult to be oxidized at 0 V bias voltage. The investigation of Bi/BiVO₄-based sensor has contributed to the development of non-noble metal for SPR-induced PEC biosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]