Tailoring the Meso-Structure of Gold Nanoparticles in Keratin-Based Activated Carbon Toward High-Performance Flexible Sensor

Highlights Materials with contradictory performance were prepared using wool keratin (WK). WK used for in situ preparation of AuNPs and N-doped carbon precursor as well. Two- and three-electrode flexible strip sensors designed for pH and UA detection. Flexible biosensors with high accuracy and reliable operation in detecting pH and uric acid levels in body fluids are fabricated using well-engineered metal-doped porous carbon as electrode material. The gold nanoparticles@N-doped carbon in situ are prepared using wool keratin as both a novel carbon precursor and a stabilizer. The conducting electrode material is fabricated at 500 °C under customized parameters, which mimics A–B type (two different repeating units) polymeric material and displays excellent deprotonation performance (pH sensitivity). The obtained pH sensor exhibits high pH sensitivity of 57 mV/pH unit and insignificant relative standard deviation of 0.088%. Conversely, the composite carbon material with sp 2 structure prepared at 700 °C is doped with nitrogen and gold nanoparticles, which exhibits good conductivity and electrocatalytic activity for uric acid oxidation. The uric acid sensor has linear response over a range of 1–150 µM and a limit of detection 0.1 µM. These results will provide new avenues where biological material will be the best start, which can be useful to target contradictory applications through molecular engineering at mesoscale.