Preliminary Electrochemical Characterization of Fe3O4/AC-GOx Nanocomposite-Modified Electrodes as Glucose Biosensor Candidates

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30742/jikw.v15i2.5549

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease and a major global health problem, characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and potentially leading to serious complications and death. Therefore, accurate and efficient blood glucose monitoring is essential. Objective: This study aimed to develop a glucose biosensor based on a Fe₃O₄/AC-(GOx) nanocomposite using an electrochemical method. Methods: The Fe₃O₄/AC nanocomposite was synthesized using the coprecipitation method, with natural iron sand and coconut-shell-derived carbon as the main precursors. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and magnetic characterization. The Fe₃O₄/AC-GOx nanocomposite was then applied to a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) for electrochemical evaluation. Results: XRD and FTIR characterization confirmed the formation of the Fe₃O₄/AC nanocomposite and the presence of characteristic Fe–O and carbon-based functional groups. SEM analysis showed an irregular morphology with a tendency to agglomerate and an average particle size of 48.05 nm. The nanocomposite exhibited a saturation magnetization of 9.26 emu/g, with low coercivity and remanent magnetization. The Fe₃O₄/AC-GOx-modified SPCE showed a higher current response than the bare SPCE, indicating improved electrochemical activity. However, glucose-dependent responses and analytical performance parameters have not yet been evaluated. Conclusion: The Fe₃O₄/AC-GOx-modified SPCE shows potential for further development as a glucose biosensor, although systematic analytical validation is still required.

References

Agista, W. P., Hidayat, A., Subrada, S. U. I., Amrillah, T., Saputra, K., …& Taufiq, A. (2025). The improvement of radar absorption performance in MnxFe3–xO4/PANI/AC nanocomposites by manipulating the composition of 3d transition metal elements. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 1010, 177348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.177348

Alatzoglou, C., Tzianni, E. I., Patila, M., Trachioti, M. G., Prodromidis, M. I., & Stamatis, H. (2023). Structure-Function Studies of Glucose Oxidase in the Presence of Carbon Nanotubes and Bio-Graphene for the Development of Electrochemical Glucose Biosensors. Nanomaterials, 14(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14010085

Astuti, A., Arief, S., & Pebrina, D. (2022). Effect of the Amount of Carbon in the Fe3O4@ZnO-C Nanocomposites on Its Structure and Magnetic Properties. Jurnal Kimia Sains Dan Aplikasi, 25(10), 362–367. https://doi.org/10.14710/jksa.25.10.362-367

Awodi, G. O., Itodo, A. U., Wuana, R. A., Ande, S., & Sumi, R. B. (2026). Development of Sustainable Activated Carbon Tablets from Coconut Shell: Formulation and Binder Optimization Studies. OALib, 13(07), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1115584

Basak, M., Rahman, Md. L., Ahmed, Md. F., Biswas, B., & Sharmin, N. (2022). The use of X-ray diffraction peak profile analysis to determine the structural parameters of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles using Debye-Scherrer, Williamson-Hall, Halder-Wagner and Size-strain plot: Different precipitating agent approach. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 895, 162694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.162694

Berliana Ramadhani, D., Hidayat, A., Subadra, S. U. I., Susanto, D., Frida, E., …& Taufiq, A. (2025). Synthesis of Fe3O4–Zingiber officinale extract/ZnO/OA/DMSO ferrofluid as antimicrobial agent. Physica Scripta, 100(4), 045944. https://doi.org/10.1088/1402-4896/adbd86

Bi, R., Ma, X., Miao, K., Ma, P., & Wang, Q. (2023). Enzymatic biosensor based on dendritic gold nanostructure and enzyme precipitation coating for glucose sensing and detection. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 162, 110132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.110132

Bilalis, P., Karagouni, E., & Toubanaki, D. K. (2022). Peroxidase‐like activity of Fe3 O4 nanoparticles and Fe3O4 ‐graphene oxide nanohybrids: Effect of the amino‐ and carboxyl‐surface modifications on H2O2 sensing. Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 36(9), e6803. https://doi.org/10.1002/aoc.6803

Dirgayanti, D. S., Koesnarpadi, S., & Hindryawati, N. (2021). Synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4-Activated Carbon and it’s application to adsorb methylene blue. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 623(1), 012070. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/623/1/012070

Fi Ramadhani, F. A., Kurniawan, R., Wisodo, H., Hidayat, N., Diantoro, M., …& Taufiq, A. (2025). Excellent Removal Copper Performance by CoxFe3-XO4/ZnO/AC Nanocomposite. Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering), 87(5), 931–938. https://doi.org/10.11113/jurnalteknologi.v87.23126

Fu, Y., Liu, T., Wang, H., Wang, Z., Hou, L., …& Xu, T. (2024). Applications of nanomaterial technology in biosensing. Journal of Science: Advanced Materials and Devices, 9(2), 100694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsamd.2024.100694

Gama Cavalcante, A. L., Dari, D. N., Izaias Da Silva Aires, F., Carlos De Castro, E., Moreira Dos Santos, K., & Sousa Dos Santos, J. C. (2024a). Advancements in enzyme immobilization on magnetic nanomaterials: Toward sustainable industrial applications. RSC Advances, 14(25), 17946–17988. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA02939A

Geetha, V. T., Selvakumar, C., Kumar, S. S., Gopinath, S., Ragupathi, C., & Rajendiran, A. (2024). Effect of morphological and particle size, structure on the physical properties of Sr doped cobalt chromite for catalysis application. Chemistry of Inorganic Materials, 3, 100058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cinorg.2024.100058

Genitsaridi, I., Salpea, P., Salim, A., Sajjadi, S. F., Tomic, D., …& Heart, B. (2026). IDF Diabetes Atlas: Global, regional, and national diabetes prevalence estimates for 2024 and projections for 2050. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, 14(2), 149–156. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(25)00299-2

Gupta, S., & Tai, N.-H. (2024). Carbon nanomaterials and their composites for electrochemical glucose biosensors: A review on fabrication and sensing properties. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 154, 104957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2023.104957

Hacker, K. (2024). The Burden of Chronic Disease. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 8(1), 112–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2023.08.005

Hakim, L., & Sedyadi, E. (2020). Synthesis and Characterization of Fe3O4 Composites Embeded on Coconut Shell Activated Carbon. JKPK (Jurnal Kimia Dan Pendidikan Kimia), 5(3), 245. https://doi.org/10.20961/jkpk.v5i3.46543

Hariyanto, Y. A., Nikmah, A., Subadra, S. T. U. I., Susanto, H., Nur, H., …& Taufiq, A. (2026). Constructing Fe3O4/HA/L‐ac Hybrid Nanocomposites as Excellent Antimicrobial Agents and Drug Delivery Vehicles. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials, 114(1), e70019. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmb.70019

Hussain, O. A., Hathout, A. S., Abdel-Mobdy, Y. E., Rashed, M. M., Abdel Rahim, E. A., & Fouzy, A. S. M. (2023). Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from agricultural wastes and their ability to remove chlorpyrifos from water. Toxicology Reports, 10, 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.01.011

Jędrzak, A., Kuznowicz, M., Rębiś, T., & Jesionowski, T. (2022). Portable glucose biosensor based on polynorepinephrine@magnetite nanomaterial integrated with a smartphone analyzer for point of care application. Bioelectrochemistry, 145, 108071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108071

Juang, R.-S., Yei, Y.-C., Liao, C.-S., Lin, K.-S., Lu, H.-C., …& Sun, A.-C. (2018). Synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4/activated carbon nanocomposites with high surface area as recoverable adsorbents. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 90, 51–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2017.12.005

Kesici-Meco, E., & Unur-Yilmaz, E. (2024). Enzymatic electrochemical biosensor for glucose detection based on biomass-derived Fe3O4/C and PEDOT:PSS modification. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 35(33), 2128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-13885-7

Lin, M.-H., Gupta, S., Chang, C., Lee, C.-Y., & Tai, N.-H. (2022). Carbon nanotubes/polyethylenimine/glucose oxidase as a non-invasive electrochemical biosensor performs high sensitivity for detecting glucose in saliva. Microchemical Journal, 180, 107547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2022.107547

Mohamad Nor, N., Ridhuan, N. S., & Abdul Razak, K. (2022). Progress of Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Biosensor Based on Nanomaterial-Modified Electrode. Biosensors, 12(12), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12121136

Mohammadzadeh Kakhki, R. (2024). Nafion based biosensors: A review of recent advances and applications. International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials, 73(17), 1470–1487. https://doi.org/10.1080/00914037.2023.2297436

Mufandi, I., Jamilatun, S., Purnama, D. A. A., & Melani Putri, R. U. (2020). Effectiveness of Activated Carbon from Coconut Shell Through Potassium Hydroxide. Al-Kimiya, 7(2), 62–66. https://doi.org/10.15575/ak.v7i2.7956

Naikoo, G. A., Salim, H., Hassan, I. U., Awan, T., Arshad, F., …& Qurashi, A. (2021). Recent Advances in Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors Based on Metal and Metal Oxide Nanostructures for Diabetes Management- A Review. Frontiers in Chemistry, 9, 748957. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2021.748957

Nikmah, A., Taufiq, A., Hidayat, A., Sunaryono, & Susanto, H. (2021). Excellent Antimicrobial Activity of Fe3O4/SiO2/Ag Nanocomposites. Nano, 16(05), 2150049. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1793292021500491

Park, B.-N. (2026). Interface-dictated kinetics in Fe-metal organic framework–derived Fe₃O₄: Diffusion vs. capacitive storage across solid and liquid electrolytes. Journal of Energy Storage, 155, 121592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.121592

Paul, N. L., Popa, C. O., & Ionescu, R. E. (2025). Natural Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Produced by Aquatic Magnetotactic Bacteria as Ideal Nanozymes for Nano-Guided Biosensing Platforms A Systematic Review. Biosensors, 15(9), 590. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15090590

Rama Rao, T., & Tejomurtula, G. N. (2024). Diabetes Mellitus: A Review. International Journal of Medical Sciences and Pharma Research, 10(2), 5–9. https://doi.org/10.22270/ijmspr.v10i2.97

Shourie, P., & Trivedi, A. R. (2025). Beyond Blood Sugar: A Comprehensive Exploration of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Impact on Human Health. Undergraduate Research in Natural and Clinical Science and Technology Journal, 9, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.26685/urncst.682

Sujiono, E. H., Zabrian, D., Zurnansyah, Mulyati, Zharvan, V., Samnur, & Humairah, N. A. (2022). Fabrication and characterization of coconut shell activated carbon using variation chemical activation for wastewater treatment application. Results in Chemistry, 4, 100291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rechem.2022.100291

Tatarchuk, T. (2024). Studying the Defects in Spinel Compounds: Discovery, Formation Mechanisms, Classification, and Influence on Catalytic Properties. Nanomaterials, 14(20), 1640. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14201640

Taufiq, A., Nikmah, A., Hidayat, A., Sunaryono, S., Mufti, N., …& Susanto, H. (2020). Synthesis of magnetite/silica nanocomposites from natural sand to create a drug delivery vehicle. Heliyon, 6(4), e03784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03784

Vali, I. P., Anusha, B. S., Pruthvija, M., Savitha, S., Ravindra, S., …& Swathi, N. (2024). Bamboo and coconut shell based activated carbon: A Raman spectroscopic study. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 318, 129240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2024.129240

Wolf, A., Zink, A., Stiegler, L. M. S., Branscheid, R., Apeleo Zubiri, B., …& Mandel, K. (2023). Magnetic in situ determination of surface coordination motifs by utilizing the degree of particle agglomeration. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 648, 633–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2023.05.182

Xiao, Q., Cao, H., Tu, X., Pan, C., Fang, Y., & Huang, S. (2024). The influence of near-infrared carbon dots on the conformational variation and enzymatic activity of glucose oxidase: A multi-spectroscopic and biochemical study with molecular docking. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 273, 133198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133198

Xiong, K., Liu, J., Liu, S., Zhang, H., Zhang, R., & Sheng, B. (2026). Recent advances in metal nanomaterials for glucose oxidase biosensors: A comprehensive review. Microchemical Journal, 220, 116437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2025.116437

Xu, J., Sun, Y., & Zhang, J. (2020). Solvothermal synthesis of Fe3O4 nanospheres for high-performance electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensor. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73090-4

Xue, Y., Thalmayer, A. S., Zeising, S., Fischer, G., & Lübke, M. (2022). Commercial and Scientific Solutions for Blood Glucose Monitoring A Review. Sensors, 22(2), 425. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22020425

Zainullah, M., Herawati, L. R., Subadra, St. U. I., Utomo, J., Hidayat, N., …& Taufiq, A. (2025). Synthesis and Characterization of Fe3O4/SiO2/AC Nanocomposite as a Heavy Metal Adsorbent. BIO Web of Conferences, 183, 01010. https://doi.org/10.1051/bioconf/202518301010

Zhang, S., Zheng, M., Tang, Y., Zang, R., Zhang, X., …& Pang, H. (2022). Understanding Synthesis Structure Performance Correlations of Nanoarchitectured Activated Carbons for Electrochemical Applications and Carbon Capture. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(40), 2204714. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202204714

Zhou, J., Pan, K., Qu, G., Ji, W., Ning, P., …& Xie, R. (2022). rGO/MWCNTs-COOH 3D hybrid network as a high-performance electrochemical sensing platform of screen-printed carbon electrodes with an ultra-wide detection range of Cd(II) and Pb(II). Chemical Engineering Journal, 449, 137853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.137853

Downloads

Published

2026-09-30

Issue

Section

Original Research Article