{
  "abstract": "The controlled decoration of graphene with metal nanoparticles benefits catalysis and sensing, yet remains challenging. Here, electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG) is decorated with surfactant-free gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) through a simple one-pot synthesis that uses only water, sodium hydroxide and glycerol, all inexpensive and green reagents. The AuNPs grow directly on the graphene surface. Base concentration governs particle size, whereas the Au/EEG ratio controls loading with only minor changes in size, allowing the two parameters to be tuned almost independently. The resulting composite reaches an Au loading of 20 wt%, to our knowledge among the highest reported for surfactant-free AuNPs on EEG. In the ethanol oxidation reaction, it outperformed physically mixed, sequentially deposited and ligandstabilized controls, combining the highest mass activity with the lowest Tafel slope and the largest electrochemically active surface area. As a proof-of-concept tryptophan sensor, it oxidized the analyte at 0.57 V, to our knowledge the lowest overpotential reported for this amino acid, with a linear response from 1 to 100 µM, a detection limit of 0.4 µM and good tolerance to common electroactive interferents. This strategy offers a scalable, green platform for printable catalysts and sensors.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "CICA-Centro Interdisciplinar de Química e Bioloxía, Universidade da Coruña, Rúa as Carballeiras, Coruña, Spain, 15071",
    "Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems",
    "Ca' Foscari University of Venice",
    "Institute of Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity",
    "National Research Council of Italy"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Riccardo Pinotti",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-8683-911X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alejandro Castro-Exposito"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Alessandro Silvestri"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Davide Campagnol"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Telma Domingues"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Giulia Cazzador"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mohadeseh Karbasi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Chiara Zanardi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jesús Mosquera"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan Quinson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alejandro Criado"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bvpejnd25vm9v.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010981/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "bvpejnd25vm9v",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010981/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2105|Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223291049",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010981/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-23",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bvpejnd25vm9v.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15010981",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010981/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:2105|Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion",
      "subfield": "electrochemistry-energy"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Controlled Decoration of Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene with Gold Nanoparticles for Electrocatalysis and Sensing",
  "title_text": "Controlled Decoration of Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene with Gold Nanoparticles for Electrocatalysis and Sensing",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:26Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/bvpejnd25vm9v",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}