In situ growth of TiO2 hierarchical nanocomposites on porous carbon nanofibers membranes for ultra-sensitive electrochemical detection of rutin

TiO 2 and porous carbon nanofiber membrane composite material (TiO 2 -PCNF) with hierarchical structures were prepared via electrospinning and in situ growth methods. The ordered arrangement of TiO 2 nanosheets and mesoporous structure of porous carbon nanofibers membrane (PCNF) endowed the composite material with a large specific surface area (628 m 2 g −1 ) and numerous catalytic active sites. Moreover, the synergistic effect between TiO 2 and PCNF endowed the composite material with excellent electrical conductivity and a large material diffusion flux. To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance, rutin was used as the model analyte, and an electrochemical sensor (Au/ TiO 2 -PCNF/CILE) was constructed using a carbon paste ionic liquid electrode (CILE) as the base electrode by combining the electrodeposition technique with gold. This electrochemical sensor exhibited extremely high sensitivity and an extremely low detection limit for rutin.