Preparation and characterization of a carbon-based magnetic nanostructure via co-precipitation method: Peroxidase-like activity assay with 3,3ʹ,5,5ʹ-tetramethylbenzidine

Natural and artificial enzymes have shown important roles in biotechnological processes. Recently, design and synthesis of artificial enzymes especially peroxidase mimics has been interested by many researchers. Due to disadvantages of natural peroxidases, there is a desirable reason of current research interest in artificial peroxidase mimics. In this study, magnetic multiwall carbon nanotubes with a structure of Fe3O4/MWCNTs as enzyme mimetic were fabricated using in situ co-precipitation method. The structure, composition, and morphology of Fe3O4/MWCNTs nanocomposite were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The magnetic properties were investigated by the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Peroxidase-like catalytic activity of nanocomposite was investigated using colorimetric and electrochemical tests with 3,3ʹ,5,5ʹ-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate. The obtained data proved the synthesis of Fe3O4/MWCNTs nanocomposite. The average crystallite size of nanostructures was estimated about 12 nm by Debye–Scherer equation. It was found that Fe3O4/MWCNTs nanocomposite exhibit peroxidase-like activity. Colorimetric and electrochemical data demonstrated that prepared nanocomplex has higher catalytic activity toward H2O2 than pure MWCNT nanocatalyst. From electrochemical tests concluded that the Fe3O4/MWCNTs electrode exhibited the better redox response to H2O2, which is ~ 2 times larger than that of the MWCNTs. The synthesis of Fe3O4nanoparticles on MWCNTs was successfully performed by in situ co-precipitation process. Fe3O4/MWCNTs nanocatalyst exhibited a good peroxidase-like activity. These biomimetic catalysts have some advantages such as simplicity, stability and cost effectiveness that can be used in the design of enzyme-based devices for various applied fields.