Copper Oxide Chitosan Nanocomposite: Characterization and Application in Non-Enzymatic Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing

Electrochemical dissolution of metallic copper into slightly acidic aqueous solutions of chitosan yields a clear and stable dispersion of Copper Oxide nanoparticles into the organic polymer host. The electrochemically synthesized chitosan:CuOx nanocomposite is characterized by means of spectrophotometry, frequency domain electrical measurements and morphological analysis. Solid state electrochemical cells having pure chitosan as the electrolyte and using chitosan:CuOx as the electrode, are developed and characterized by means of electrical measurements performed in the +/- 1 V voltage window. The current-voltage loops of the cells, measured in deionized water, are found to reversibly change in response to hydrogen peroxide added to the water in 0.2 M subsequent steps. Such changes, clearly distinguishable from changes recorded in response to other analytes, can be exploited in order to develop a hydrogen peroxide sensor able to work without the need for any supporting electrolyte.