A conductive molten salt was synthesized by using natural pyrite (PR) and silver nanoparticles (Ag) at 450°C using a molten salt method. The molten-salt-composite (PR/Ag) was used as an electrocatalyst to detect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The as-prepared PR/Ag possessed higher conductivity than natural PR. It exhibited a high sensitivity of 603.54 μA mM-1 cm-2 for the detection of H2O2, with a linear range of 0.1 to 30 mM, and a detection limit of 0.02 mM (S/N = 3). In addition, the PR/Ag sensor exhibited good selectivity to H2O2, resisting interference from other potential interferent compounds (e.g. uric acid, glucose, fructose and common metal ions (K+, Mg2+, Na+)). The approach is considered to provide a sensitive, selective, and reliable tool for highly detection of H2O2.
Keywords: Pyrite; electrochemical sensor; hydrogen peroxide; molten salt method; silver nanoparticles.