Enhanced sensing performance of flexible non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors using hollow Fe3O4 nanospheres of controllable morphologies

Abstract

Rapid and accurate monitoring of glucose concentration is of great significance in clinical diagnosis and treatment of diabetes and hence, it is necessary to develop glucose sensors of superior electro-catalytic capacity. Most literature utilize synergistic effect of nanocomposites to enhance glucose sensing performance, whereas it suffers from crucial restriction in physical and chemical characteristics of each constituents. Morphology of nanostructures significantly affects the electro-catalytic capacity, thus it is a novel route to improve glucose sensing performance to adjust morphology of nanostructures. Herein, we presented highly sensitive non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors for rapid and accurate glucose analysis with hollow Fe3O4 nanospheres (Fe3O4NSs) of controllable morphologies decorated on flexible fibers. The morphologies of the Fe3O4NSs were evaluated with quantitative parameters like diameter, roundness, roughness, skewness, and kurtosis acquired from SEM images and image processing algorithms, and their effect on the interfacial characteristics and the electro-catalytic capacity of the glucose sensors was investigated. Owing to the unique spherical nanostructures and superior catalysis, the Fe3O4NSs exhibit desirable solid/liquid interface for mass diffusion and abundant active sites for sufficient oxidation of glucose. Moreover, much rounder and rougher Fe3O4NSs of near Gaussian surface are readily produced at a higher Fe3+ concentration and result in favorable sensing performance. Accordingly, the optimal glucose sensor shows sensitivities of 96.1 ± 5.4 μA mM−1 cm−2 and 38.2 ± 2.2 μA mM−1 cm−2 over a preferable range of 0–18.0 mM, and a lower detection limit of 19.2 μM. Besides, the glucose sensors remain acceptable response after continuous testing for 20 times and repetitive bending for 50 times, and display superior selectivity to glucose and accurate analysis to practical samples. It is a facile and effective methodology to regulate the morphologies of the Fe3O4NSs for enhanced electro-catalytic capacity of glucose sensors.