A SH+ ions implantation-modified indium tin oxide (SH/ITO) electrode was fabricated and the existence of mercapto groups on the electrode was verified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) had been attached on the surface of SH/ITO electrode, forming the electrode AuNPs/SH/ITO. By using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we found that ion implantation approach provided a useful strategy to attach AuNPs on the SH/ITO surface with high density without using any organic binding molecules. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that the AuNPs/SH/ITO electrode showed excellent electrochemical properties, and exhibited effective catalytic responses towards biomolecules such as glutathione (GSH). Thus this material is expected to have promising applications in electrochemical analysis and biosensors. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.