Antioxidant-rich brilliant polymeric nanocomposites for quick and efficient non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensor

Abstract

In our current research, a new type of functional nanocomposites known as poly(methyl methacrylate/N,N-dimethyl aminoethylmethacrylate/(E)-2-cyano-N-cyclohexyl-3 (dimethylamino) acrylamide) [poly(MMA/DMAEMA/CHAA)] has been developed. These nanocomposites were created using microemulsion polymerization in conjunction with synthesized titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) nanoparticles. To understand the physio-chemical characteristics of the poly(MMA/DMAEMA/CHAA) and the metal oxide nanoparticles (MOs) integrated within them, various analytical techniques were employed. These techniques included Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and electrical approaches such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrical impedance spectra (EIS). Based on the TEM results, nanospheres with a well-defined structure were developed for both the pure polymer and its composite with sizes ranging from 45 to 75 nm. All the TiO₂ and V₂O₅-based nanocomposites showed significantly enhanced electrical attributes, with capacitance values surpassing those of the poly(MMA/DMAEMA/CHAA) nanosphere assemblies by a considerable margin. As a result, both direct electron transfer and direct hydrogen peroxide identification were evaluated for the nanocomposites. The amperometry results demonstrated a lower detection limit of 0.0085 μM and a rapid linear sensitivity in the range of 1 to 800 μM. The greatly improved electrolytic qualities of these nanocomposites make them suitable for various applications in fields such as battery storage, sensors, and biosensors.