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Abstract
The applications of inorganic nanomaterials as biomimetic catalysts are receiving
much attention because of their high stability and low cost. In this work, Co3O4 nanomaterials
including nanoplates, nanorods, and nanocubes were synthesized. The morphologies and
compositions of the products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission
electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The catalytic properties of Co3O4 nanomaterials
as catalase mimics were studied. The Co3O4 materials with different morphology exhibited
different catalytic activities in the order of nanoplates > nanorods > nanocubes.
The difference of the catalytic activities originated from their different abilities
of electron transfer. Their catalytic activities increased significantly in the presence
of calcium ion. On the basis of the stimulation by calcium ion, a biosensor was constructed
by Co3O4 nanoplates for the determination of calcium ion. The biosensor had a linear
relation to calcium concentrations and good measurement correlation between 0.1 and
1 mM with a detection limit of 4 μM (S/N = 3). It showed high selectivity against
other metal ions and good reproducibility. The proposed method was successfully applied
for the determination of calcium in a milk sample.