Polyoxometalates as peroxidase mimetics and their applications in H2O2 and glucose detection

Polyoxometalates (H(3)PW(12)O(40), H(4)SiW(12)O(40) and H(3)PMo(12)O(40)) have been proven to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity for the first time, which can catalyze oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H(2)O(2) to form a blue color in aqueous solution. Among them, H(3)PW(12)O(40) (PW(12)) exhibits higher catalytic activity to TMB than natural enzyme HRP and other two POMs. In addition, H(3)PW(12)O(40)/graphene exhibited higher activity than H(3)PW(12)O(40) in this catalytic oxidation reaction due to the effect of graphene in promoting the electron transfer between the substrate and catalyst. POMs/H(2)O(2)/TMB system provides a simple, accurate approach to colorimetric detection for H(2)O(2) or glucose. The colorimetric method based on POMs showed good response toward H(2)O(2) and glucose detection with a linear range from 1.34×10(-7) to 6.7×10(-5) mol/L and 1×10(-7) to 1×10(-4) mol/L, respectively. The results showed that it is a simple, cheap, more convenient, highly selective, sensitive, and easy handling colorimetric assay.