Tailored electronic properties of PdAu nanocatalysts via one-step electrodeposition for high-performance glucose sensors

The development of efficient and reliable glucose sensors is crucial for the early detection and management of diabetes mellitus. This study introduces a novel one-step electrodeposition method for fabricating bimetallic palladium-gold (PdAu) nanocatalysts directly onto gold electrodes, aimed at enhancing the electrocatalytic performance for non-enzymatic glucose sensing. The one-step electrodeposition technique not only simplifies the fabrication process but also enables precise control over the morphology and electronic properties of the PdAu nanostructures. The optimized electronic interactions between palladium and gold within the nanocatalyst significantly enhance electron transfer kinetics, leading to a high electroactive surface area and improved catalytic activity for glucose oxidation. As a result, the PdAu electrodes demonstrated superior glucose sensing capabilities, with a low detection limit of 83 µM and an impressive sensitivity of 67.2 µA mM^-1cm⁻² across a linear range of 1–8 mM glucose. The catalyst also exhibited excellent selectivity against common interfering species, as well as remarkable stability and reproducibility over an extended period. These findings underscore the significance of the one-step electrodeposition method in producing bimetallic catalysts with tailored electronic properties, offering a promising approach for advancing electrochemical biosensors in diabetes diagnosis.