Copper-Nitride Nanowires Array: An Efficient Dual-Functional Catalyst Electrode for Sensitive and Selective Non-Enzymatic Glucose and Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

It is highly attractive to develop non-noble-metal nanoarray architecture as a 3D-catalyst electrode for molecular detection due to its large specific surface area and easy accessibility to target molecules. Here, we report the development of a copper-nitride nanowires array on copper foam (Cu3N NA/CF) as a dual-functional catalyst electrode for efficient glucose oxidation in alkaline solutions and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction in neutral solutions. Electrochemical tests indicate that such Cu3N NA/CF possesses superior non-enzymatic sensing ability toward rapid glucose and H2O2 detection with high selectivity. At 0.40V, this sensor offers a high sensitivity of 14180Ammcm(-2) for glucose detection, with a wide linear range from 1m to 2mm, a low detection limit of 13nm (S/N=3), and satisfactory stability and reproducibility. Its application in determining glucose in human blood serum is also demonstrated. Amperometric H2O2 sensing can also been realized with a sensitivity of 7600Ammcm(-2), a linear range from 0.1m to 10mm, and a detection limit of 8.9nm (S/N=3). This 3D-nanoarray architecture holds great promise as an attractive sensing platform toward electrochemical small molecules detection.