Electrochemical Sensing Techniques for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection

Electrochemical sensors for hydrogen peroxide detection exploit redox reactions at an electrode interface to quantify H₂O₂ with high sensitivity, rapid response and operational simplicity. These devices are broadly classified as enzymatic or non-enzymatic. Enzymatic sensors immobilise peroxidase or catalase on conductive substrates, facilitating direct electron transfer between the enzyme’s active centre and the electrode surface. Non-enzymatic approaches employ electrocatalytic nanomaterials—such as graphene derivatives, metal nanoparticles, metal oxides or their composites—to enhance surface area, conductivity and catalytic activity for H₂O₂ reduction or oxidation. Transduction modes include amperometry, where current at a fixed potential is recorded; voltammetric techniques that sweep potential to reveal redox peaks; impedance spectroscopy to probe interfacial properties; and field-effect transistor configurations for potentiometric read-out. Material optimisation and sensor architecture design have yielded detection limits down to the nanomolar range, response times of a few seconds and robust selectivity against common interferents. Such platforms are applied in clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, industrial process control and food safety, underlining the global significance of accurate H₂O₂ quantification.

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Electrochemical Sensing Techniques for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical sensing techniques for hydrogen peroxide detection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Amperometry: Technique measuring current at a constant potential corresponding to the electrochemical reaction of interest.

Voltammetry: Method involving a potential sweep at the working electrode to record current–potential profiles of redox processes.

Electrocatalysis: Acceleration of an electrochemical reaction at an electrode surface by a catalyst material.

Direct electron transfer: Movement of electrons between the redox centre of an enzyme and the electrode without mediators.

Nanocomposite: Hybrid material composed of two or more components at the nanoscale to enhance electrochemical properties.

Limit of detection: Lowest concentration of analyte that can be reliably distinguished from the background signal.

References

1. Ecofriendly approaches to efficiently enhance catalase performance. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules (2024).
2. Review—Non-Enzymatic Hydrogen Peroxide Electrochemical Sensors Based on Reduced Graphene Oxide. Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2020).
3. A Highly Efficient Nonenzymatic Hydrogen Peroxide Electrochemical Sensor Using Mesoporous Carbon Doped ZnO Nanocomposite. Journal of The Electrochemical Society (2021).
4. A Review on Direct Electrochemistry of Catalase for Electrochemical Sensors. Sensors (2009).