Room temperature ultrafast synthesis of zinc oxide nanomaterials via hydride generation for non-enzymatic glucose detection

A highly sensitive electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose (Glu) sensor has been developed based on zinc oxide nanomaterials (ZnO NMs), which was synthesized by a novel and ultrafast strategy based on headspace hydride generation (HG) at room temperature (RT). The preparation of ZnO NMs was performed in gas-solid phase by introducing ZnH2 gas (generated on-line by reducing Zn2+ with KBH4) into carbon cloth (CC) in a sealed headspace bottle. ZnH2 was unstable, can easily decompose and react with O-2 in the headspace bottle to form ZnO NMs on CC. The whole preparation process was completed in minute-level under ambient conditions, which was utilized to be a feasible catalyst electrode for highly sensitive Glu sensing afterwards. It is found that the developed sensor has an excellent glucose sensing performance with high corresponding sensitivity of 4792 mu A mM(-1) cm(-2), which was better than other ZnO-based catalysts reported. The measurement results indicate that ZnO/CC presents a short response time of less than 3 s, a wide linear range from 1 mu M to 1.45 mM, a low detection of limit (LOD) of 0.43 mu M (S/N = 3). Besides, the possible mechanism was discussed. Glu in serum samples has been detected with satisfactory results by the proposed material.