Pd-based nanoporous metals for enzyme-free electrochemical glucose sensors

Nanoporous metals (NPMs) show potential applications as enzyme-free glucose sensors. There are few reports on nanoporous Pd in this area even though their cost is much lower than other NPMs. In this work, we report the formation of Pd-based NPM with improved catalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose. By dealloying metallic glasses, Pd-based NPMs with bi-continuous networks were obtained. All the Pd-based NPMs show high electrochemical catalytic activity towards glucose oxidation. In this study, NPM with an open, three-dimensional, ligament-channel nanoporous structure resulted by dealloying metallic Pd30Cu40Ni10P20, producing a pore size of 11 nm and a ligament size of 7 nm as the best configuration towards the direct oxidation reaction of glucose.

Graphical abstractPd-based NPM with a pore size of 11 nm and a ligament size of 7 nm in this study exhibits an open, three-dimensional, ligament-channel nanoporous structure on the surface, and good stabilities during 1000 cycles of CV testing.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide