A high-performance photoelectrochemical sensor based on CdS–Au composite nanomaterials and localized surface plasmon resonance for ultrasensitive detection of ascorbic acid

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA), which plays a vital role in the metabolism of the human body, is closely correlated with various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, scurvy, Parkinson's disease, urinary stones, and diarrhea. The detection of AA is of great significance for early prevention and diagnosis of related diseases. In this paper, a high-performance photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was constructed based on cadmium sulfide–gold (CdS–Au) composite nanomaterials for ultrasensitive ascorbic acid (AA) detection. Due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), the PEC performance of CdS–Au composite nanomaterials was significantly improved compared to CdS semiconductor nanomaterials. Under the optimal conditions, the AA concentration was linearly related to the photocurrent signal in the range of 0.01 μM–200 μM, with the detection limit being 0.2 nM (S/N = 3) and the sensitivity being 642.9 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². In addition, the mechanism of the PEC sensor based on CdS–Au composite nanomaterials for ultrasensitive AA detection was discussed. Lastly, the self-constructed PEC sensors have been successfully applied in detecting AA in vitamin C tablets and actual blood samples, meeting the detection criteria required by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP, 2020 edition). The self-fabricated PEC sensors in this paper are expected to be used for quality assessment of AA-related drugs and diagnosis of relevant diseases.