Synergistic oxidation of NADH on bimetallic CoPt nanoparticles decorated carbon nitride nanotubes

• We constructed a highly stable carbon nitride nanotube (CNNT) hybrids modified with CoPt nanoparticles (CoPT NPs).
• Nitrogen atoms in CNNTs allowed the homogeneous distribution of CoPt NPs with high stability.
• The electrochemical oxidation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in CNNT/CoPt hybrids was notably improved, compared with that in CNTs or CNNTs.
• The designed CNNT/CoPt hybrid will be promising as an electrochemical platform for the detection of other redox species.

We demonstrate that carbon nitride nanotube (CNNT) hybrids modified with CoPt nanoparticles (CoPt NPs) oxidize reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to a greater extent than carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or CNNTs alone due to synergistic interactions between the CNNTs and the CoPt NPs through the improved internal network. Heterogeneous nitrogen atoms in the sp2 carbon network provide strong binding sites for in-situ synthesis of CoPt NPs of homogeneous size. The increase in heterogeneous charge transfer on the CoPt-CNNT hybrid electrode enhanced the electrochemical oxidation of NADH at a low applied potential compared to those for pristine CNTs or CNNTs. Our results suggest that CoPt-CNNT hybrids are highly stable and ideal for use in electrochemical sensing.