Higher catalytic activity of porphyrin functionalized Co3O4 nanostructures for visual and colorimetric detection of H2O2 and glucose

5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-carboxyl pheyl)-porphyrin (H2TCPP) functionalized chain-like Co3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a facile two-step method. The H2TCPP–Co3O4 nanocomposites were demonstrated to display enhanced peroxidase-like activity than that of pure Co3O4 nanoparticles without modification with H2TCPP molecules, catalyzing oxidation of peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-benzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2 to produce a blue color reaction. Furthermore, H2TCPP–Co3O4 nanocomposites showed typical Michaelis–Menten kinetics and higher affinity to H2O2 and TMB than that of pure Co3O4 NPs alone. Based on H2TCPP–Co3O4 nanocomposites, a simple, sensitive and selective colorimetric method with TMB as the substrate for the detection of H2O2 and glucose was successfully established. This colorimetric method can be used for the colorimetric detection of H2O2 with a low detection limit of 4 × 10− 7 mol·L− 1 and a dynamic range of 1 × 10− 6 mol·L− 1 to 75 × 10− 6 mol·L− 1. This method was designed to detect glucose when combined with glucose oxidase at a low detection limit of 8.6 × 10− 7 mol·L− 1 and a dynamic range of 1 × 10− 6 mol·L− 1 to 10 × 10− 6 mol·L− 1. Results of a fluorescent probe suggested that the peroxidase-mimic activity of the H2TCPP–Co3O4 nanocomposites effectively catalyzed the decomposition of H2O2 into [OH] radicals.