Preparation of TiO2–Pt hybrid nanofibers and their application for sensitive hydrazine detection

Abstract

The TiO₂–Pt hybrid nanofibers with an average dia. 72.6 nm were fabricated by electrospinning poly(vinylpyrrolidone)–ethanol solution containing platinum acetate and titanium tetraisopropoxide, followed by calcination in air at 500 °C for 3 h. High resolution TEM showed that Pt nanoparticles with an average diameter of ∼2 nm were well dispersed in the anatase TiO₂ nanofibers. Compared to pristine TiO₂ nanofibers (average dia. 67.7 nm), the incorporation of Pt nanoparticles into TiO₂ nanofibers can greatly enhance the oxidation of hydrazine in neutral solution. The amperometric hydrazine sensor, using the as-prepared TiO₂–Pt hybrid nanofibers as the electrochemical catalyst, shows a wide linear range (up to 1.03 mM), a good limit of detection (0.142 µM), and a high sensitivity of 44.42 µA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². In addition, the excellent anti-interference property, free of matrix effect from real water samples and good reproducibility make the developed hydrazine sensor promising for real applications.