Prussian blue functionalized partial reduced graphene oxide enhanced electrochemiluminescence of perylenetetracarboxylic acid for folic acid determination

In this work, Prussian blue nanocubes functionalized partial reduced graphene oxide (PBs-PrGO) was first employed as a new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal amplification strategy of perylenetetracarboxylic acid (PTCA), and the ECL signal of PBs-PrGO-PTCA composite presented 3-fold enhancement compared with PTCA. The FeIII and FeII active site of Prussian blue nanocubes (PBs) could promote the reduction of K2S2O8 to generate more sulfate radical anion (SO4−), which enhanced the ECL signal of PTCA. The partial reduced graphene oxide (PrGO) not only used as the substrate for in-situ growing PBs, but also could assemble PTCA through π–π stacking. Besides, folic acid (FA) could effectively quench the ECL signal of PTCA. Based upon above, a rapid and effectual FA sensor was constructed. Under the optimum conditions, the ECL sensor exhibited an excellent linear relationship for FA determination with the limit of detection low as 0.719 nM. The constructed sensor applied in the determination of FA in tablets and human urine with satisfactory results, which could realize rapid and accurate FA analysis. •Prussian blue functionalized partial reduced graphene oxide firstly applied to amplify the ECL signal of PTCA.•The Prussian blue functionalized partial reduced graphene oxide was synthesized through simple one-pot synthesis process.•The constructed ECL sensor used for determination of folic acid with simple operation, and relatively wider linear range.