A Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensor based on Copper Oxide Nanowires-SingleWall Carbon Nanotubes

A hybrid electrocatalyst was synthesized with copper oxide nanowires (CuO NWs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to detect glucose in alkaline environment. TEM, SEM and FTIR characterization demonstrated that CuO NWs and SWCNTs were excellently integrated in as-prepared catalyst with good morphologic appearance and structural properties. The biosensor realized an excellent sensitivity of 2191.3 mu A cm(-2) mM(-1) for glucose in low concentration from 1 mu M to 34 mu M, and a fine overall sensitivity of 761.5 mu A cm(-2) mM(-1) within a wide linear range from 1 mu M to 2.67 mM. The lowest limit of detection (LOD) was measured down to 45.6 nM (S/N = 3) with a fast response time of 1-2 s. It was also found that CuO NWs in the hybrid composite greatly improved the selectivity of the sensor while SWCNTs largely benefited the response toward glucose. More importantly, interference from L-ascorbic acid, uric acid, acetaminophen, fructose, and sucrose in physiological concentration were nearly negligible. The present work would be beneficial to explore nanostructured electrocatalyst for non-enzymatic glucose detection. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.