Electrochemical Sensing with Graphene-Based Materials

Graphene-based materials have emerged as a versatile platform for electrochemical sensing, owing to their two-dimensional structure and exceptional physicochemical properties. A single layer of sp2-bonded carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice offers an ultrahigh surface area, outstanding electrical conductivity and ease of chemical functionalisation. Graphene derivatives, including graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide, can be tailored with heteroatom doping or hybridised with metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles to enhance electrocatalytic activity, selectivity and stability. In electrochemical sensors, these materials act as electrode modifiers or transducers, facilitating rapid electron transfer and higher density of active sites. Common sensing strategies employ cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to detect a wide range of analytes, from small molecules such as hydrogen peroxide and glucose to neurotransmitters, nucleic acids and environmental pollutants. Such sensors demonstrate low detection limits, broad linear ranges and fast response times, enabling portable and point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring and food safety applications. Despite impressive progress, challenges remain in reproducible large-scale production, long-term stability in complex matrices and the mitigation of interferences. Continued innovation in material synthesis, surface chemistry and device integration is poised to further advance the global impact of graphene-based electrochemical sensors.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Investigations into heteroatom-doped graphene have revealed that the electronic character imparted by boron or nitrogen atoms can significantly influence the electroanalytical performance of DNA base detection platforms. Boron-doped graphene, with its electron-deficient nature, has been shown to enhance the oxidation signal of nucleobases, facilitating label-free electrochemical DNA analysis with improved sensitivity. Comparative studies demonstrate that the choice of dopant and the molecular structure of the target analyte govern the interfacial charge transfer kinetics, opening new avenues for selective biomolecular sensing on graphene electrodes.

Electrochemical Sensing with Graphene-Based Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical sensing with graphene-based materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Graphene: A single atom-thick layer of hexagonally arranged carbon atoms exhibiting high conductivity and surface area.

Graphene oxide (GO): An oxidised form of graphene bearing oxygen functional groups that facilitate dispersion and chemical modification.

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO): Graphene oxide partially restored to graphene by removal of oxygen groups, combining conductivity with residual functionality.

Doping: Introduction of heteroatoms (e.g. boron, nitrogen) into the graphene lattice to tune electronic and electrocatalytic properties.

Cyclic voltammetry (CV): An electrochemical technique in which potential is swept cyclically to characterise redox processes and kinetics.

Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV): A pulsed electroanalytical method that enhances sensitivity by applying voltage pulses and measuring current differentials.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS): A frequency-domain technique that probes interfacial charge transfer and resistive/capacitive elements of an electrode.

References

1. Flexible Graphene Paper Modified Using Pt&Pd Alloy Nanoparticles Decorated Nanoporous Gold Support for the Electrochemical Sensing of Small Molecular Biomarkers. Biosensors (2024).
2. Doped Graphene for DNA Analysis: the Electrochemical Signal is Strongly Influenced by the Kind of Dopant and the Nucleobase Structure. Scientific Reports (2016).
3. Review—Recent Progress in Graphene Based Modified Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine. Chemosensors (2022).
4. N-Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide/Gold Nanoparticles Composite as an Improved Sensing Platform for Simultaneous Detection of Dopamine, Ascorbic Acid, and Uric Acid. Sensors (2020).