A high-performance hydrazine electrochemical sensor based on gold nanoparticles/single-walled carbon nanohorns composite film

A novel hydrazine electrochemical sensor was developed based on gold nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanohorns composite film. The sensor has the merits of wide linear range, fast response, high sensitivity, good selectivity and reproducibility. The diffusion coefficient of hydrazine was also studied. •A novel electrochemical hydrazine sensor was fabricated by a facile method.•The sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic ability toward hydrazine oxidation.•The sensor has a linear range of 0.005–3.345mM and a detection limit of 1.1μM.•The diffusion coefficient of hydrazine was determined as 4.43×10−6cm2s−1. A novel electrochemical sensor was developed by electrodepositing gold nanoparticles on the single-walled carbon nanohorns modified glassy carbon electrode. We used the prepared sensor to determine hydrazine for the first time. The results show that the modified electrode has good electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of hydrazine. Under the optimized conditions, two wide linear segments were observed between the catalytic currents and the concentration of hydrazine within the range of 0.005–3.345mM with a detection limit of 1.1μM (s/n=3). The diffusion coefficient of hydrazine was also estimated using chronoamperometry. Additionally, the sensor showed excellent sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility properties.