Pyrrole monomer was chemically polymerized onto SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 powders to obtain SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/polypyrrole nanocomposite to be used as a candidate for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye (MB). The material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It was observed from transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) analysis that the reported synthesis route allows the production of SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 nanoparticles with particle size below 100 nm which were embedded within a semiconducting polypyrrole matrix (PPy). The SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 and SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/PPy nanocomposites were tested in the photodegradation of MB dye under visible light irradiation. Also, the effects of MB dye initial concentration and the catalyst load on photodegradation efficiency were studied and discussed. Under the same conditions, the efficiency of photodegradation of MB employing the SrCO3-Sr(OH)2/PPy nanocomposite increases as compared with that obtained employing the SrCO3-Sr(OH)2 nanocomposite.
In this paper, we present the results of a non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensor based on TiO2. An anatase working electrode was synthesized using the spin coating technique with the polymeric precursor method and dispersed TiO2 nanoparticles. Through scanning electron microscopy, it was observed that the electrode presented an irregular surface with clusters of nanoparticles. Electrochemical characterization indicated that the response was directly related to the morphology of the electrode. In the presence of glucose, the electrode exhibited adsorption behavior toward the molecules, enabling their recognition. The electrode was tested by employing PBS (phosphate buffer solutions) with varying pH values (from 4 to 9), demonstrating its electrochemical stability, even in the presence of glucose. Amperometric characterization was used to determine that the working region appeared from 0.2 mM to 2 mM, with a sensitivity of 4.46 μAcm−2mM−1 in PBS pH 7. The obtained results suggest that TiO2-based electrodes could be used for the detection of glucose concentration in sweat (0.277–1 mM) and saliva (0.23–1.77 mM).