Zinc oxide (ZnO) hollow spheres are gaining attention due to their exceptional properties and potential applications in various fields. This study investigates the impact of different zinc precursors Zinc Chloride (ZnCl₂), Zinc Nitrate [Zn(NO₃)₂], and Zinc Acetate [Zn(CH₃COO)₂] on the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO hollow spheres. A comprehensive set of characterization techniques, including Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, was utilized to assess the structural and morphological features of the synthesized materials. Our findings demonstrate that all samples exhibit a high degree of crystallinity with a wurtzite structure, and crystallite sizes range between 34 to 91 nm. Among the different precursors, ZnO derived from Zinc Nitrate showed markedly higher porosity and a well-defined mesoporous structure than those obtained from Zinc Acetate and Zinc Chloride. This research underscores the significance of precursor selection in optimizing the properties of ZnO hollow spheres, ultimately contributing to advancements in the design and application of ZnO-based nanomaterials.

Cysteine is one of the body’s essential amino acids to build proteins. For the early diagnosis of a number of diseases and biological issues, L-cysteine (L-Cys) is essential. Our study presents an electrochemical sensor that detects L-cysteine by immobilizing the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme on a reduced graphene oxide (GCE) modified glassy carbon electrode. The morphologies and chemical compositions of synthesized materials were examined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The modified electrode’s electrochemical behavior was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated HRP/rGO/GCE has better electrocatalytic activity than bare GCE in the oxidation of L-cysteine oxidation in a solution of acetate buffer. The electrochemical sensor had a broad linear range of 0 µM to 1 mM, a 0.32 µM detection limit, and a sensitivity of 6.08 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻². The developed sensor was successfully used for the L-cysteine detection in a real blood sample with good results.