Non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide detection at NiO nanoporous thin film- electrodes prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles

•A non-enzymatic sensor for H2O2 detection based on nickel thin film is reported.•Nanostructured nickel thin films are prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles.•Main analytical parameters were obtained under optimal operation conditions.•Sensors depict an outstanding selectivity and a high stability.•Sensors are successfully used to determine H2O2 in antiseptic solutions.

In this work we report a non-enzymatic sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection based on nanostructured nickel thin films prepared by physical vapor deposition at oblique angles. Porous thin films deposited on ITO substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microcopy (SEMs), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical techniques such as Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Constant Potential Amperometry (CPA). The microstructure of the thin films consisted of inclined and separated Ni nanocolumns forming a porous thin layer of about 500 nm thickness. Prior to their use, the films surface was electrochemically modified and the chemical state studied by CV and XPS analysis. These techniques also showed that Ni2+/Ni3+ species were involved in the electrochemical oxidation and detection of H2O2 in alkaline medium. Main analytical parameters such as sensitivity (807 mA M−1 cm−2), limit of detection (3.22 μM) and linear range (0.011-2.4 mM) were obtained under optimal operation conditions. Sensors depicted an outstanding selectivity and a high stability and they were successfully used to determine H2O2 concentration in commercial antiseptic solutions.

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