The development of MnO2-graphene (MnO2-GR) composite by microwave irradiation method and its application as an electrode material for the selective determination of serotonin (SE), popularly known as "happy chemical", is reported. Anchoring MnO2 nanoparticles on graphene, yielded MnO2-GR composite with a large surface area, improved electron transport, high conductivity and numerous channels for rapid diffusion of electrolyte ions. The composite was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for assessing the actual composition, structure and morphology. The MnO2-GR composite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited an excellent electrochemical activity towards the detection of SE in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at physiological pH of 7.0. Under optimum conditions, the modified electrode could be applied to the quantification of serotonin by square wave voltammetry over a wide linear range of 0.1 to 800 µM with the lowest detection limit of 10 nM (S/N = 3). The newly fabricated sensor also exhibited attractive features such as good anti-interference ability, high reproducibility and long-term stability.
Keywords: MnO2-graphene composite; electrode material; serotonin sensor.