Direct growth of pod-like Cu2O nanowire arrays on copper foam: Highly sensitive and efficient nonenzymatic glucose and H2O2 biosensor

Abstract

The pod-like Cu2O nanowire arrays (denoted as Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam) grown on the three-dimensional copper foam is synthesized by a low-cost and convenient method. The morphology and composition of the Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The high conductivity of Cu foam as current collector can facilitate the charge and mass transfer, and the Cu foam with opened framework provides large amounts of anchoring sites for the deposition of Cu2O NWs during the synthesis of the Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam. Accordingly, The Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam is used as electrocatalysts for the detection of glucose and H2O2. The Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam electrode shows extremely high sensitivity of 6.6807mAmM−1cm−2 and a low detection limit of 0.67μM for the electrocatalytic oxidation for glucose. The nonenzymatic sensor also demonstrates good response toward hydrogen peroxide with high sensitivity of 1.4773mAmM−1cm−2 and the detection limit of 1.05μM. Due to the excellently high sensitivity, stability and anti-interference ability, the Cu2O PLNWs/Cu foam will be the potential candidate for constructing practical non-enzymatic glucose and hydrogen peroxide sensors.