In situ fabrication of aloe-like Au–ZnO micro/nanoarrays for ultrasensitive biosensing of catechol

Currently, the large-scale and controllable fabrication of nanostructures on substrates remains a great challenge for further practical applications. In this work, a novel 3D aloe-like Au–ZnO nanocomposite was designed for in situ synthesis on an ITO substrate, achieving real-time detection of trace catechol (CC) in water. A seed-assisted hydrothermal approach was proposed to control the crystal distribution and growth direction to build a ZnO aloe-like architecture. To eliminate the natural weak conductivity of ZnO, Au nanoparticles were further deposited on all ZnO arrays to construct Au–ZnO micro/nanostructures. The synergetic effects derived from the aloe-like ZnO with a large specific area and Au nanoparticles with high conductivity resulted in both high electrocatalysis and fast electron transfer in enzymatic reactions. After laccase immobilization, the as-prepared biosensor exhibited specific recognition of catechol among other dihydroxybenzenes and phenol with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 131 μA mM⁻¹, as well as an extremely wide linear range from 75 nM to 1100 μM and an ultralow detection limit of 25 nM. In addition, in the detection of real lake samples, this biosensor showed satisfactory anti-interference ability and provided reliable assay results.