In-situ electrochemical oxidation of amorphous nanoporous NiZrO for enhanced non-enzymatic glucose sensing

Abstract

Amorphous nanoporous NiZrO (npNiZrO) is fabricated by dealloying Ni64Zr36 metallic glass ribbon as non-enzymatic glucose sensor in this work. The npNiZrO supported by Ni64Zr36 metallic glass ribbon as self-supporting electrode can achieve a high sensitivity of 3.19 mA cm−2 mM−1 in 0.1 M NaOH alkaline solution. Furthermore, the sensitivity toward glucose sensing can be improved by in-situ electrochemical cyclic voltammograms (CV) activation, which is attributed to the oxidation of npNiZrO electrode. XPS results confirmed the formation of Ni2+/Ni3+ redox couple, which is acted as the active sites. The CV-activated npNiZrO electrode with an enhanced sensitivity of 4.81 mA cm−2 mM−1 is corresponding to the improved electrochemical active surface area (ECSA). The results in this work provide a basis for future production of enzyme-free glucose sensors based on amorphous nanoporous materials.