High-performance hybrid electrode decorated by well-aligned nanograss arrays for glucose sensing

The worldwide boost in glucose related diseases such as diabetics over the last decade leads to an overwhelming demand for development of advanced electrochemical glucose sensors with high sensitivity, fast response and excellent selectivity. Herein we report a novel freestanding microelectrode comprising well-aligned Cu(OH)2 nanograss arrays and uniform nanoporous copper (NPC) substrate. Such a cost-effective hierarchical hybrid structure entails a unique combination of good conductivity of NPC and high electrocatalytic activity of Cu(OH)2. As a result, the glucose sensor based on the hybrid nanostructure exhibits extraordinary performance towards the oxidation of glucose with a high sensitivity of ~2.09 mA cm−2 mM−1, wide linear range of 0.2-9 mM, low detection limit of 197 nM, fast response time of less than 1 s and excellent selectivity. The current work not only provides novel hybrid materials with great potential to be commercialized in blood glucose sensing, but also has important implications for designing enhanced nanostructured electrocatalysts for engineering applications in general.