A highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on CuS nanosheets modified Cu2O/CuO nanowire arrays

Self-Supported Cu/Fe3O4 Hierarchical Nanosheets on Ni Foam for High-Efficiency Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensing

Electrochemical glucose sensors are vital for clinical diagnostics and the food industry, where accurate detection is essential. However, the limitations of glucose oxidase (GOx)-based sensors, such as complex preparation, high cost, and environmental sensitivity, highlight the need for non-enzymatic sensors that directly oxidize glucose at the electrode surface. In this study, a self-supporting hierarchical Cu/Fe3O4 nanosheet electrode was successfully fabricated by in situ growth on Ni Foam using a hydrothermal method, followed by annealing treatment. The Cu/Fe3O4 hierarchical nanosheet structure, with its large surface area, provides abundant active sites for electrocatalysis, while the strong interactions between Cu/Fe3O4 and Ni Foam enhance electron transfer efficiency. This novel electrode structure demonstrates exceptional electrochemical performance for non-enzymatic glucose sensing, with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 12.85 μA·μM-1·cm-2, a low detection limit of 0.71 μM, and a linear range extending up to 1 mM. Moreover, the Cu/Fe3O4/NF electrode exhibits excellent stability, a rapid response (~3 s), and good selectivity against interfering substances such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, H2O2, urea, and KCl. It also shows strong reliability in analyzing human serum samples. Therefore, Cu/Fe3O4/NF holds great promise as a non-enzymatic glucose sensor, and this work offers a valuable strategy for the design of advanced electrochemical electrodes.

Facet engineering of Cu2O for efficient electrochemical glucose sensing

BACKGROUND

Accurate monitoring glucose level is significant for human health management, especially in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of diabetes. Electrochemical quantification of glucose is a convenient and rapid detection method, and the crucial aspect in achieving great sensing performance lies in the selection and design of the electrode material. Among them, Cu2O, with highly catalysis ability, is commonly used as electrocatalyst in non-enzymatic glucose sensing. This feature has attracted great attentions for improving sensing performances by increasing exposed surface area and modifying with other active materials, but the intrinsic electrochemical activity of Cu2O is often diminished.

RESULT

In this work, we synthesized Cu2O cubes with exposed (100) faces, Cu2O octahedron with exposed (111) faces and Cu2O rhombic dodecahedron with exposed (110) faces of similar sizes to investigate the influence of expose facets on its glucose sensing performance. By employing the facets-regulation strategy, the anti-interference performance was largely improved by the Cu2O octahedron when compared with the Cu2O cube and the Cu2O rhombic dodecahedron, while the sensitivity and stability were also improved. Eventually, the Cu2O octahedron with exposed (111) faces based on glucose sensor displayed great practicability in human serum and the relative deviation was less than 3 % when compared with biochemical analyzer. Experimental, calculation and simulation result elucidate that Cu2O octahedron with exposed (111) faces, possessing stronger intrinsic electrochemical activity, comparatively favors the glucose adsorption, electron transfer and current density enhancement, rather than more active sites.

SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY

This work focuses on the exploration of the intrinsic electrochemical activity of Cu2O and confirms that a facets-regulation strategy is an effective approach for boosting performance of non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors, especially for their sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, it will lay the foundation for advancing the key field of precision medicine.

Cobalt-Based Ferrite Modified Carbon Nanotubes Fibers for Flexible and Disposable Microelectrode Toward Electrochemical Glucose Sensing

Glucose detection is critical in clinical health and the food industry, particularly in the diagnosis of blood sugar levels. Carbon-based fiber materials have recently featured prominently as non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose detectors. Herein, cobalt-based ferrite (CoFe2O4) in the form of nanoparticles has been successfully fabricated over the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fiber via a simple hydrothermal process. Fabricated microelectrode (CoFe2O4@CNTs) was investigated as an electrocatalyst toward the non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. The structure and morphology of the modified fiber were studied by scanning electron microscopy including energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electrochemical capability of the microelectrode was analyzed by using different electrochemical techniques including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed sensors exhibited a superb sensitivity of 0.21 µAcm-2 mM-1, a good linear range from 1 to 9 mM, and a lower detection limit of 1.7 mM. Further investigation via EIS indicated the low charge transfer resistance as compared to the bare CNTs-based fiber. Outcomes revealed that the material can potentially prove promising for the disposable microelectrode toward electrochemical glucose sensing.

A Biocompatible, Highly Sensitive, and Non-Enzymatic Glucose Electrochemical Sensor Based on a Copper-Cysteamine (Cu-Cy)/Chitosan-Modified Electrode

A biocompatible, highly sensitive, and enzyme-free glucose electrochemical sensor was developed based on a copper-cysteamine (Cu-Cy)-modified electrode. The catalytically active biocompatible material Cu-Cy was immobilized on the electrode surface by the natural polymer chitosan (CTS). The electrochemical characterization and glucose response of the Cu-Cy/CTS/glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and constant potential amperometry. The significant electrocatalytic activity of Cu-Cy to the oxidation of glucose in an alkaline environment was revealed. Several crucial parameters, including the number of scanning cycles for electrode activation, applied potential, and the contents of Cu-Cy and chitosan, were investigated to understand their impact on the sensor's response. The proposed sensing platform exhibited linear ranges of 2.7 μM to 1.3 mM and 1.3 mM to 7.7 mM for glucose detection, coupled with high sensitivity (588.28 and 124.42 μA·mM-1·cm-2), and commendable selectivity and stability. Moreover, a Cu-Cy/CTS-modified screen-printed electrode (SPE) was further developed for portable direct detection of glucose in real samples.

Bioengineering of one dimensional hierarchical Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes for non-enzymatic glucose sensing applications

Herein, a novel and facile eco-friendly green chemistry approach has been devised at room temperature for synthesis of 1D hierarchical Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes on Cu substrate via volatile organosulfur compounds from Allium sativum L for non-enzymatic glucose detection. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterize the surface morphology, structural phase, compositional, and chemical states of the obtained samples, respectively. The SEM results confirm the formation of 1D hierarchical Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes. The XRD patterns are indexed to orthogonal anilite Cu7S4 crystal planes and the EDX spectra clearly reveal the presence of Cu and S elements. XPS spectra confirms peaks of Cu 2p and S 1s core levels, which are typical characteristics of Cu(i) and S(ii), respectively. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area for obtained Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes is 2.07 m2 g-1 with a pore size distribution of 27.90 nm. Using Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes, the detection of non-enzymatic glucose was conducted over a dynamic range of concentrations from 0.5 to 100 μmol L-1 and reveals a high sensitivity of 1058.33 μA mM-1cm-2 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.127 μmol L-1. The obtained results indicated that Cu7S4 hollow nanotubes are promising candidates for non-enzymatic glucose detection.

Anodized CuO-based reusable non-enzymatic glucose sensor as an alternative method for the analysis of pharmaceutical glucose infusions: a cyclic voltammetric approach

Analyzing pharmaceutical products is a quality control requirement in a production facility. This study presents a CuO electrode-based reusable non-enzymatic sensor as an alternative method for rapid analysis of glucose levels in glucose infusions. CuO is extensively employed as an electrode material in non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Conventionally, these electrodes are fabricated using chemical synthesis of CuO followed by immobilization to the electrode substrate. In contrast, here, Cu metal was mechanically modified to create a grooved surface, followed by electrochemical anodization and subsequent annealing process to grow a seamless CuO layer in situ with enhanced catalytic activity. The morphology of the electrodes was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The direct electrocatalytic activity of the developed CuO-modified electrode towards glucose oxidation in alkaline media was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in detail. The CuO-modified electrode commenced the oxidation process around 0.10 V vs. Ag pseudo-reference electrode, demonstrating a significant reduction in the overvoltage for glucose oxidation compared to the bare Cu electrode. The sensor is capable of detecting glucose at low oxidation potentials such as 0.2 V with a sensitivity value of 0.37 µA ppm-1, a wide linear range (80-2300 ppm), limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1 ppm, greater repeatability, 1% precision, 3% bias, a short response time (80 s), good reproducibility and excellent reusability (196 consecutive attempts). The enhanced performance and cost-effectiveness make this sensor a promising alternative method for product analysis in glucose injection solutions.

Advances of Transition Metal-Based Electrochemical Non-enzymatic Glucose Sensors for Glucose Analysis: A Review

Glucose concentration is a crucial parameter for assessing human health. Over recent years, non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors have drawn considerable attention due to their substantial progress. This review explores the common mechanism behind the transition metal-based electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose molecules through classical electrocatalytic frameworks like the Pletcher model and the Hydrous Oxide-Adatom Mediator model (IHOAM), as well as the redox reactions at the transition metal centers. It further compiles the electrochemical characterization techniques, associated formulas, and their ensuing conclusions pertinent to transition metal-based non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. Subsequently, the review covers the latest advancements in the field of transition metal-based active materials and support materials used in non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors in the last decade (2014-2023). Additionally, it presents a comprehensive classification of representative studies according to the active metal catalysts components involved.

ZnO-CeO2 Hollow Nanospheres for Selective Determination of Dopamine and Uric Acid

ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres have been successfully synthesized via the hard templating method, in which CeO2 is used as the support skeleton to avoid ZnO agglomeration. The synthesized ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres possess a large electrochemically active area and high electron transfer owing to the high specific surface area and synergistic effect of ZnO and CeO2. Due to the above advantages, the resulting ZnO-CeO2 hollow spheres display high sensitivities of 1122.86 μA mM-1 cm-2 and 908.53 μA mM-1 cm-2 under a neutral environment for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid. The constructed electrochemical sensor shows excellent selectivity, stability and recovery for the selective analysis of dopamine and uric acid in actual samples. This study provides a valuable strategy for the synthesis of ZnO-CeO2 hollow nanospheres via the hard templating method as electrocatalysts for the selective detection of dopamine and uric acid.

Facile preparation of a CoNiS/CF electrode by SILAR for a high sensitivity non-enzymatic glucose sensor

The nanomaterials for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors are usually pre-synthesized and coated onto electrodes by ex situ methods. In this work, amorphous cobalt-nickel sulfide (CoNiS) nanoparticles were facilely prepared on copper foam (CF) by the in situ successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method, and as-prepared CoNiS/CF was studied as an electrode for non-enzymatic glucose sensing. It was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical performance was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry (CA). This binary sulfide electrode showed better performance toward glucose oxidation compared to the corresponding single sulfide and showed a wide linear range of 0.005 to 3.47 mM, a high sensitivity of 2298.7 μA mM-1 cm-2 and a low detection limit of 2.0 μM. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity and good repeatability and stability and was able to detect glucose in an actual sample. This work provides a simple and fast in situ electrode preparation method for a high-sensitivity glucose sensor.

Advancing Diabetes Management: The Future of Enzyme-Less Nanoparticle-Based Glucose Sensors-A Review

BACKGROUND

Glucose is vital for biological processes, requiring blood sugar levels to be maintained between 3.88 and 6.1 mmol/L, especially during fasting. Elevated levels signal diabetes, a global concern affecting 537 million people, necessitating effective glucose-monitoring devices.

METHOD

Enzyme-based sensors, though selective, are sensitive to environmental factors. Nonenzymatic sensors, especially those with nanoparticles, offer stability, high surface area, and cost-effectiveness. Existing literature supports their immediate glucose oxidation, showcasing exceptional sensitivity.

RESULTS

This review details nonenzymatic sensors, highlighting materials, detection limits, and the promise of nanoparticle-based designs, which exhibit enhanced sensitivity and selectivity in glucose detection.

CONCLUSION

Nanoparticle-based sensors, as reviewed, show potential for glucose monitoring, overcoming enzyme-based limitations. The conclusion suggests future directions for advancing these sensors, emphasizing ongoing innovation in this critical research area.

Wearable electrochemical glucose sensor of high flexibility and sensitivity using novel mushroom-like gold nanowires decorated bendable stainless steel wire sieve

Long-term high blood glucose levels brings extremely detrimental effect on diabetic patients, such as blindness, renal failure, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop highly flexible and sensitive sensors for precisely non-invasive and continuous monitoring glucose levels. Herein, we present a highly flexible and sensitive wearable sensor for non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose analysis with vertically aligned mushroom-like gold nanowires (v-AuNWs) chemically grown on stainless steel wire sieve (SSWS) as integrated electrode. Owing to the unique nanostructures and excellent catalysis of the v-AuNWs, the as-fabricated glucose sensors exhibit superior flexibility and excellent electro-catalytic capability. In detail, these sensors display rapid response towards glucose within 5 s, and the sensor constructed with v-AuNWs for growth time of 15 min shows the highest sensitivity of 180.1 μA mM-1 cm-2 within a wide linear range of 6.5 × 10-4 mM-12.0 mM and the lowest detection limit of 0.65 μM (S/N = 3). It is noteworthy that due to the good ductility of the v-AuNWs and their strong contact with the SSWS substrate, these glucose sensors exhibit no obvious response variation after repeated bending for 100 times at bending angle of 180°. Additionally, the glucose sensors display superior anti-interfering capability as well as desirable repeatability. More importantly, these glucose sensors can be attached on human skin to determine sweat glucose reliably and analyze glucose concentration in human serum in vitro.

One-step hydrothermal synthesis of CuS/MoS2 composite for use as an electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensor

Early diagnosis may be crucial for the prevention of chronic diabetes mellitus. For that herein, we prepared a CuS/MoS2 composite for a non-enzymatic glucose sensor through a one-step hydrothermal method owing to the synergetic effect of CuS/MoS2. The surface morphology of CuS/MoS2 was studied by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Cs-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cs-STEM). The crystallinity and surface composition of CuS/MoS2 were analyzed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) respectively. The working electrode was prepared from CuS/MoS2 electrocatalyst, and for that dispersed solution of electrocatalyst was used to fabricate the material-loaded glassy carbon electrode (GC). CuS/MoS2 composite shows the viability of electrocatalyst to oxidize glucose in an alkaline solution with sensitivity and detection limit of 252.71 μA mM-1 cm-2 and 1.52 μM respectively. The proposed glucose sensor showed reasonable stability and potential selectivity during electrochemical analysis. Accordingly, the CuS/MoS2 composite has potential as a viable material for glucose sensing in diluted human serum.

Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensor Using Bimetallic Catalysts

Bimetallic glucose oxidation electrocatalysts were synthesized by two electrochemical reduction reactions carried out in series onto a titanium electrode. Nickel was deposited in the first synthesis stage followed by either silver or copper in the second stage to form Ag@Ni and Cu@Ni bimetallic structures. The chemical composition, crystal structure, and morphology of the resulting metal coating of the titanium electrode were investigated by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The electrocatalytic performance of the coated titanium electrodes toward glucose oxidation was probed using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. It was found that the unique high surface area bimetallic structures have superior electrocatalytic activity compared to nickel alone. The resulting catalyst-coated titanium electrode served as a nonenzymatic glucose sensor with high sensitivity and low limit of detection for glucose. The Cu@Ni catalyst enables accurate measurement of glucose over the concentration range of 0.2-12 mM, which includes the full normal human blood glucose range, with the maximum level extending high enough to encompass warning levels for prediabetic and diabetic conditions. The sensors were also found to perform well in the presence of several chemical compounds found in human blood known to interfere with nonenzymatic sensors.

Sulfide-modified nanozerovalent iron for rapid decontamination of Cu(Ⅱ) complexes in high-salinity wastewater

Heavy metal complexes receive less attention, but they are more difficult to remove than the free heavy metals. Moreover, the high-salinity wastewaters from various industries hinder the removal of heavy metal complexes. Removal of the metal complexes is a top priority but a challenging task. Herein, a new strategy for removing Cu-EDTA from high-salinity wastewater with sulfide-modified nanozerovalent iron (S-NZVI) was proposed. The S-NZVI exhibited a considerable adsorption capacity for Cu-EDTA (∼83 mg Cu/g) at a high salt concentration (25 g/L NaCl). Similarly, the S-NZVI maintained excellent adsorption performance (∼83 mg Cu/g) in the presence of CaCl2, MgCl2, Na2SO4, and NaNO3 (25 g/L). The S-NZVI showed extremely high efficiency for Cu-EDTA removal; 50 mg/L of Cu-EDTA was almost completely removed in 1 min, and the kobs was approximately 1.5 g/(mg min). The S-NZVI showed an extensive pH working range, and within the pH range of 2-9, the Cu-EDTA was removed completely within 5 min. The excellent removal performance of the S-NZVI was due to the high reactivity and high affinity of NZVI for Cu, as well as the special substitution of Fe2+ and the interfacial reactions between S-NZVI and the copper complexes. Compared with other studies of Cu complex removal, removal with S-NZVI was a simpler process with higher efficiency. In brief, S-NZVI efficiently removed Cu complexes from harsh water environments and was reused many times. The process was simple and efficient and has broad application prospects.

Integration of Triphenylene-Based Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks into Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Boosting Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensing

The rational design and preparation of conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are alluring and challenging pathways to develop active catalysts toward electrocatalytic glucose oxidation. The hybridization of conductive MOFs with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the form of a composite can greatly improve the electrocatalytic performance. Herein, a facile one-step synthetic strategy is utilized to fabricate a Ni3(HHTP)2/CNT (HHTP = 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene) composite for nonenzymatic detection of glucose in an alkaline solution. The Ni3(HHTP)2/CNT composite, as an electrochemical glucose sensor material, exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation with a wide detection range of up to 3.9 mM, a low detection limit of 4.1 μM (signal/noise = 3), a fast amperometric response time of <2 s, and a high sensitivity of 4774 μA mM-1 cm-2, surpassing the performance of some recently reported nonenzymatic transition-metal-based glucose sensors. In addition, the composite sensor also shows outstanding selectivity, robust long-term electrochemical stability, favorable anti-interference properties, and good reproducibility. This work displays the effectiveness of enhancing the electrocatalytic performance toward glucose detection by combing conductive MOFs with CNTs, thereby opening up an applicable and encouraging approach for the design of advanced nonenzymatic glucose sensors.

Exploring Copper Oxide and Copper Sulfide for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors: Current Progress and Future Directions

Millions of people worldwide are affected by diabetes, a chronic disease that continuously grows due to abnormal glucose concentration levels present in the blood. Monitoring blood glucose concentrations is therefore an essential diabetes indicator to aid in the management of the disease. Enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors presently account for the bulk of glucose sensors on the market. However, their disadvantages are that they are expensive and dependent on environmental conditions, hence affecting their performance and sensitivity. To meet the increasing demand, non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on chemically modified electrodes for the direct electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose are a good alternative to the costly enzymatic-based sensors currently on the market, and the research thereof continues to grow. Nanotechnology-based biosensors have been explored for their electronic and mechanical properties, resulting in enhanced biological signaling through the direct oxidation of glucose. Copper oxide and copper sulfide exhibit attractive attributes for sensor applications, due to their non-toxic nature, abundance, and unique properties. Thus, in this review, copper oxide and copper sulfide-based materials are evaluated based on their chemical structure, morphology, and fast electron mobility as suitable electrode materials for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. The review highlights the present challenges of non-enzymatic glucose sensors that have limited their deployment into the market.

Non-enzymatic amperometric glucose sensing on CuO/mesoporous TiO2 modified glassy carbon electrode

The present study illustrates the fabrication of a glucose sensing electrode based upon binary composite of copper oxide and mesoporous titanium dioxide on glassy carbon (CuO/TiO2/GCE). The X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis evidently showed the phase pure monoclinic CuO nanoparticles and anatase TiO2. N2 adsorption-desorption analysis verified the mesoporosity in TiO2 with specific surface area greater than 105 m2 g-1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic analysis proved the remarkable decrease in the charge transfer resistance and facilitation of electron transfer process on the fabricated electrode. The optimum weight ratio of CuO to TiO2 was 1 : 1, and the optimum potential was 0.6 V vs. saturated calomel electrode. The chronoamperometric measurements displayed a detection limit of 1.9 μM, and sensitivities of 186.67 μA mM-1 cm-2 and 90.53 μA mM-1 cm-2 in two linear ranges of 0.05 to 5.2 mM and 5.2 to 20 mM, respectively. The amperometric analysis further showed good reproducibility, high specificity and outstanding stability of the modified electrode.

In-situ construction of Au/Cu2O nanowire arrays for sensitive glucose sensing

Architecture design is widely regarded as a rational strategy to enhance the sensing performance of electrocatalysts. Herein, the novel three-dimensional hybrids based on Au and Cu₂O were successfully synthesized via steps of in-situ growth, including anodic oxidation, annealing and galvanic displacement. Cu₂O appeared in the morphology of nanowire array on conductive substrate, and was decorated by Au nanoparticles. Benefiting from the unique architecture and binder-free fabrication process, the Au/Cu₂O nanowire arrays possessed high conductivity and abundant exposed active sites, as well as facilitated the direct electron transfer among detection object, electrocatalyst and current collector. Moreover, Au/Cu₂O particles as contrast were fabricated to clarify the effect of structure on sensing ability. The Au/Cu₂O nanowire arrays drove the glucose electro-oxidation reaction with great catalytic activity, in which a potential as low as 0.4 V was needed to reach a high sensitivity of 2.098 mA mM^-1 cm^-2. The excellent selectivity, stability and reproducibility were also obtained by the sensor. Furthermore, the quantitative detection of glucose level in diluted human serum were performed and the satisfactory result make the obtained sensor have the potential for practical applications.

A Highly Sensitive Non-Enzymatic Sensor for the Determination of Glucose Based on Aniline-2-sulfonic acid-Modified Cu Electrode

Herein, the copper-based electrodes were successfully synthesized with galvanostatic electrodeposition method. The effect of materials obtained at different concentrations of ASA and anodization times on glucose sensing ability was investigated. During the anodization of copper foil in the presence of ASA molecules, it formed a tree branch-like structure connected to each other while decorating the electrode surface. The Cu(30)/ASA(0.02) electrode exhibited a relatively wide linear range (0.2 – 10.0 mM) and a low detection limit (0.826 µM). These excellent activities were mainly attributed to the surface morphology, which functions as highly active sites and enhanced electronic conductive pathways with the addition of ASA. In addition, the stability obtained together with the excellent sensing ability in beverages makes the electrodes useful for practical applications.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Evaluation of Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles and Their Application for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Detection in Blood Samples

Glutathione-capped copper sulfide (CuxSy) nanoparticles with two different average sizes were successfully achieved by using a simple reduction process that involves only changing the reaction temperature. Temperature-induced changes in the size of CuxSy nanoparticles resulted in particles with different optical, morphological, and electrochemical properties. The dependence of electrochemical sensing properties on the sizes of CuxSy nanoparticles was studied by using voltammetric and amperometric techniques. The spherical CuxSy nanoparticles with the average particle size of 25 ± 0.6 nm were found to be highly conductive as compared to CuxSy nanoparticles with the average particle size of 4.5 ± 0.2 nm. The spherical CuxSy nanoparticles exhibited a low bandgap energy (Eg) of 1.87 eV, resulting in superior electrochemical properties and improved electron transfer during glucose detection. The sensor showed a very good electrocatalytic activity toward glucose molecules in the presence of interference species such as uric acid (UA), ascorbic acid (AA), fructose, sodium chloride, and sucrose. These species are often present in low concentrations in the blood. The sensor demonstrated an excellent dynamic linear range between 0.2 to 16 mM, detection limit of 0.2 mM, and sensitivity of 0.013 mA/mM. The applicability of the developed sensor for real field determination of glucose was demonstrated by use of spiked blood samples, which confirmed that the developed sensor had great potential for real analysis of blood glucose levels.

Wearable Noninvasive Glucose Sensor Based on CuxO NFs/Cu NPs Nanocomposites

Designing highly active material to fabricate a high-performance noninvasive wearable glucose sensor was of great importance for diabetes monitoring. In this work, we developed CuxO nanoflakes (NFs)/Cu nanoparticles (NPs) nanocomposites to serve as the sensing materials for noninvasive sweat-based wearable glucose sensors. We involve CuCl2 to enhance the oxidation of Cu NPs to generate Cu2O/CuO NFs on the surface. Due to more active sites endowed by the CuxO NFs, the as-prepared sample exhibited high sensitivity (779 μA mM-1 cm-2) for noninvasive wearable sweat sensing. Combined with a low detection limit (79.1 nM), high selectivity and the durability of bending and twisting, the CuxO NFs/Cu NPs-based sensor can detect the glucose level change of sweat in daily life. Such a high-performance wearable sensor fabricated by a convenient method provides a facile way to design copper oxide nanomaterials for noninvasive wearable glucose sensors.

Electrocatalytic Platform Based on Silver-Doped Sugar Apple-like Cupric Oxide Embedded Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Nanomolar Detection of Acetaminophen (APAP)

Economical and nanomolar-level determination of the analgesic drug, acetaminophen (APAP), is reported in this work. A novel ternary nanocomposite based on silver-doped sugar apple-like cupric oxide (CuO)-decorated amine-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) was sonochemically prepared. CuO nanoparticles were synthesized based on the ascorbic acid-mediated low-temperature method, and sidewall functionalization of CNTs was carried out. Important characterizations of the synthesized materials were analyzed using SEM, TEM, HAADF-STEM, elemental mapping, EDX, lattice fringes, SAED pattern, XRD, EIS, UV-Vis, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR. It was noted the sonochemically prepared nanocomposite diligently fabricated on screen-printed carbon electrode showcased outstanding electrocatalytic performance towards APAP determination. The APAP sensor exhibited ultra-low limit of detection of 4 nM, wide linear concentration ranges of 0.02-3.77 and 3.77-90.02 μM, and high sensitivity of 30.45 μA μM^-1 cm^-2. Moreover, further evaluation of the sensor's performance based on electrochemical experiments showcased outstanding selectivity, stability, reproducibility, and repeatability. Further, excellent practical feasibility of the proposed APAP sensor was affirmed with excellent recovery larger than 96.86% and a maximum RSD of 3.67%.

Hierarchical Structures Composed of Cu(OH)2 Nanograss within Directional Microporous Cu for Glucose Sensing

Cu(OH)₂ nanomaterials are widely investigated for non-enzymatic glucose sensors due to their low-cost and excellent performance. Cu(OH)₂ nanomaterials usually grow on substrates to form sensor electrodes. Reported works mainly focus on structure adjusting of the Cu(OH)₂ nanostructures, while the optimization of substrates is still lacking. In the present work, directional porous Cu (DPC) was applied as the substrate for the growth of Cu(OH)₂ nanograss (NG), and hierarchical structures of Cu(OH)₂@DPC were prepared by alkaline oxidation. The morphology and microstructure evolution of the prepared hierarchical structures was investigated, and the non-enzymatic glucose sensing performance was evaluated. Cu(OH)₂@DPC exhibits enhanced comprehensive non-enzymatic glucose sensing performance compared to the reported ones, which may benefit from both the effective adsorption of the Cu(OH)₂ NG with a relatively high surface area and the high solute exchange of the DPC by a channel effect. This work provides new insights into the further improvement of the non-enzymatic glucose sensing performance of Cu(OH)₂ nanostructures by optimizing the substrate structure.

Quasi-aligned Cu2S/Cu(OH)2nanorod arrays anchored on Cu foam as self-supported electrode for non-enzymatic glucose detection

Self-supported Cu₂S/Cu(OH)₂composite nanorods for highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensing werein situgrown on Cu foam by simple hydrothermal treatment of aligned Cu(OH)₂nanorods. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the as-fabricated Cu₂S/Cu(OH)₂composite nanorods were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscope, x-ray photoelectron spectroscope, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, amperometrici-tmeasurements. The mechanism of the composite nanorods produced on conductive substrates was also explored. The electrode exhibits a sensitivity of 9626.88μA mM^-1cm^-2towards glucose with good anti-interference ability, indicating it a promising electrode material for the enhanced non-enzymatic glucose detection.

Fourth-generation glucose sensors composed of copper nanostructures for diabetes management: A critical review

More than five decades have been invested in understanding glucose biosensors. Yet, this immensely versatile field has continued to gain attention from the scientific world to better understand and diagnose diabetes. However, such extensive work done to improve glucose sensing devices has still not yielded desirable results. Drawbacks like the necessity of the invasive finger-pricking step and the lack of optimization of diagnostic interventions still need to be considered to improve the testing process of diabetic patients. To upgrade the glucose-sensing devices and reduce the number of intermediary steps during glucose measurement, fourth-generation glucose sensors (FGGS) have been introduced. These sensors, made using robust electrocatalytic copper nanostructures, improve diagnostic efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This review aims to present the essential scientific progress in copper nanostructure-based FGGS in the past 10 years (2010 to present). After a short introduction, we presented the working principles of these sensors. We then highlighted the importance of copper nanostructures as advanced electrode materials to develop reliable real-time FGGS. Finally, we cover the advantages, shortcomings, and prospects for developing highly sensitive, stable, and specific FGGS.

Grain boundary enriched CuO nanobundle for efficient non-invasive glucose sensors/fuel cells

Glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) plays a significant role in glucose fuel cells anode and glucose sensors. Therefore, optimizing the GOR catalyst nanostructure is auxiliary to their efficient operation. In this study, we present a cascade-assembled strategy to prepare CuO nanobundles (CuO-NB) with high-density and homogenous grainboundaries (GBs). The essence of activity in GOR that depended on GBs are thoroughly investigated. The increased glucose diffusion coefficient of CuO-NB means that GBs has a faster glucose mass transfer, which is attributed to the terraces in GBs dislocation surface. Furthermore, the accumulation of electrons on GBs makes the glucose adsorption increased and the free energy of dehydrogenation step decreased, leading to a lower glucose oxidation barrier. Therefore, CuO-NB is appropriate for non-invasive glucose detection and glucose fuel cells. This study sheds new light on the GBs effect in GOR and paves the way for developing high-efficiency electrocatalysts.

Electrochemical Characterization of Modified Glassy Carbon Electrodes for Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors

The diversity of materials proposed for non-enzymatic glucose detection and the lack of standardized protocols for assessing sensor performance have caused considerable confusion in the field. Therefore, methods for pre-evaluation of working electrodes, which will enable their conscious design, are currently intensively sought. Our approach involved comprehensive morphologic and structural characterization of copper sulfides as well as drop-casted suspensions based on three different polymers-cationic chitosan, anionic Nafion, and nonionic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). For this purpose, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy were applied. Subsequently, comparative studies of electrochemical properties of bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE), polymer- and copper sulfides/polymer-modified GCEs were performed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and voltammetry. The results from EIS provided an explanation for the enhanced analytical performance of Cu-PVP/GCE over chitosan- and Nafion-based electrodes. Moreover, it was found that the pH of the electrolyte significantly affects the electrocatalytic behavior of copper sulfides, indicating the importance of OH_ads in the detection mechanism. Additionally, diffusion was denoted as a limiting step in the irreversible electrooxidation process that occurs in the proposed system.

Nanowire-based sensor electronics for chemical and biological applications

Detection and recognition of chemical and biological species via sensor electronics are important not only for various sensing applications but also for fundamental scientific understanding. In the past two decades, sensor devices using one-dimensional (1D) nanowires have emerged as promising and powerful platforms for electrical detection of chemical species and biologically relevant molecules due to their superior sensing performance, long-term stability, and ultra-low power consumption. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the recent progress and achievements in 1D nanowire synthesis, working principles of nanowire-based sensors, and the applications of nanowire-based sensor electronics in chemical and biological analytes detection and recognition. In addition, some critical issues that hinder the practical applications of 1D nanowire-based sensor electronics, including device reproducibility and selectivity, stability, and power consumption, will be highlighted. Finally, challenges, perspectives, and opportunities for developing advanced and innovative nanowire-based sensor electronics in chemical and biological applications are featured.

Trending Technology of Glucose Monitoring during COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges in Personalized Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to spread rapidly, and patients with diabetes are at risk of experiencing rapid progression and poor prognosis for appropriate treatment. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which includes accurately tracking fluctuations in glucose levels without raising the risk of coronavirus exposure, becomes an important strategy for the self-management of diabetes during this pandemic, efficiently contributing to the diabetes care and the fight against COVID-19. Despite being less accurate than direct blood glucose monitoring, wearable noninvasive systems can encourage patient adherence by guaranteeing reliable results through high correlation between blood glucose levels and glucose concentrations in various other biofluids. This review highlights the trending technologies of glucose sensors during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2020) that have been developed to make a significant contribution to effective management of diabetes and prevention of coronavirus spread, from off-body systems to wearable on-body CGM devices, including nanostructure and sensor performance in various biofluids. The advantages and disadvantages of various human biofluids for use in glucose sensors are also discussed. Furthermore, the challenges faced by wearable CGM sensors with respect to personalized healthcare during and after the pandemic are deliberated to emphasize the potential future directions of CGM devices for diabetes management.

Structural Engineering of Hollow Microflower-like CuS@C Hybrids as Versatile Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Highly Sensitive Hydrogen Peroxide and Hydrazine Detection

Designing metal sulfides with unique configurations and exploring their electrochemical activities for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and hydrazine (N₂H₄) is challenging and desirable for various fields. Herein, hollow microflower-like CuS@C hybrids were successfully assembled and further exploited as a versatile electrochemical sensing platform for H₂O₂ reduction and N₂H₄ oxidation, of which the elaborate strategies make the perfect formation of hollow architecture, providing considerable electrocatalytic sites and fast charge transfer rate, while the appropriate introduction polydopamine-derived carbon skeleton facilitates the electronic conductivity and boosts structural robustness, thus generating wide linear range (0.05-14 and 0.01-10 mM), low detection limit (0.22 μM and 0.07 μM), and a rather low overpotential (-0.15 and -0.05 V) toward H₂O₂ and N₂H₄, as well as good selectivity, excellent reproducibility, and admirable long-term stability. It should be highlighted that the operating potentials can compare favorably with those of some reported H₂O₂ and N₂H₄ sensors based on noble metals. In addition, good recoveries and acceptable relative standard deviations (RSDs) attained in serum and water samples fully verify the accuracy and anti-interference capability of our proposed sensor systems. These results not only elucidate an effective structural nanoengineering strategy for electroanalytical science but also advance the rational utilization of H₂O₂ and N₂H₄ in practicability.

Direct epitaxial growth of nickel phosphide nanosheets on nickel foam as self-support electrode for efficient non-enzymatic glucose sensing

Design and develop of cost-effective non-enzymatic electrode materials is of great importance for next generation of glucose sensors. In this work, we report a high-performance self-supporting electrode fabricated via direct epitaxial growth of nickel phosphide on Ni foam (Ni₂P/NF) for nonenzymatic glucose sensors in alkaline solution. Under the optimal conditions, the uniform Ni₂P nanosheets could be obtained with an average thickness of 80 nm, which provides sufficient active sites for glucose molecules. As a consequence, the Ni₂P/NF electrode displays superior electrochemistry performances with a high sensitivity of 6375.1μA mM^-1cm^-2, a quick response about 1 s, a low detection limit of 0.14μM (S/N = 3), and good selectivity and specificity. Benefit from the strong interaction between Ni₂P and NF, the Ni₂P/NF electrode is also highly stable for long-term applications. Furthermore, the Ni₂P/NF electrode is capable of analyzing glucose in human blood serum with satisfactory results, indicating that the Ni₂P/NF is a potential candidate for glucose sensing in real life.

A novel non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on NiFe(NPs)-polyaniline hybrid materials

This article was focused on the elaboration of NiFe-Polyaniline glucose sensors via electrochemical technique. Firstly, the PANi (polyaniline) fibers were synthesized by oxidation of the monomer aniline on FTO (fluorine tin oxide) substrate. Secondly, the Nickel-Iron nanoparticles (NiFe (NPs)) were obtained by the Chronoamperometry method on the Polyaniline surface. The NiFe-PANi hybrid electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), force atomic microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical glucose sensing performance of the NiFe alloy nanoparticle was studied by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. The fabricated glucose sensor Ni-Fe hybrid material exhibited many remarkable sensing performances, such as low-response time (4 s), sensitivity (1050 μA mM^-1 cm^-2), broad linear range (from 10 μM -1 mM), and low limit of detection (LOD) (0.5 μM, S/N = 3). The selectivity, reliability, and stability of the NiFe hybrid material for glucose oxidation were also investigated. All the results demonstrated that the NiFe-PANi/FTO hybrid electrode is very promising for application in electrochemical glucose sensing.

3D NiCo-Layered double Hydroxide@Ni nanotube networks as integrated free-standing electrodes for nonenzymatic glucose sensing

Nickel cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH)-based materials have recently emerged as catalysts for important electrochemical applications. However, they frequently suffer from low electrical conductivity and agglomeration, which in turn impairs their performance. Herein, we present a catalyst design based on integrated, self-supported nickel nanotube networks (Ni-NTNWs) loaded with NiCo-LDH nanosheets, which represents a binder-free, hierarchically nanostructured electrode architecture combining continuous conduction paths and openly accessible macropores of low tortuosity with an ultrahigh density of active sites. Similar to macroscale metallic foams, the NTNWs serve as three-dimensionally interconnected, robust frameworks for the deposition of active material, but are structured in the submicron range. Our synthesis is solely based on scalable approaches, namely templating with commercial track-etched membranes, electroless plating, and electrodeposition. Morphological and compositional characterization proved the successful decoration of the inner and outer nanotube surfaces with a conformal NiCo-LDH layer. Ni-NTNW electrodes and hydroxide-decorated variants showed excellent performance in glucose sensing. The highest activity was achieved for the catalyst augmented with NiCo-LDH nanosheets, which surpassed the modification with pure Ni(OH)₂. Despite its low thickness of 20 µm, the optimized catalyst layer provided an outstanding sensitivity of 4.6 mA mM^-1 cm^-2, a low detection limit of 0.2 µM, a fast response time of 5.3 s, high selectivity and stability, and two linear ranges covering four orders of magnitude, up to 2.5 mM analyte. As such, derivatized interconnected metal nano-networks represent a promising design paradigm for highly miniaturized yet effective catalyst electrodes and electrochemical sensors.

Selective and sensitive visible-light-prompt photoelectrochemical sensor of paracetamol based on Bi2WO6 modified with Bi and copper sulfide

Paracetamol (PA) is a ubiquitous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, mainly used to treat headaches, arthritis and osteoarthritis and other diseases. In this work, a novel label free photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on Bi-CuS/Bi2WO6 has been developed for the detection of PA, which was fabricated by a simple two-step hydrothermal process. It was found that Bi-CuS/Bi2WO6 with a CuS/Bi2WO6 heterojunction and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Bi possesses enhanced charge transfer and absorption wavelengths under visible light, particularly when compared to pristine Bi2WO6 films, thus producing an increase in the observed photocurrent. The photocurrent was increased after adding PA. And the photocurrent increment was linear with PA concentration in the range from 0.01-60 μM with a detection limit of 2.12 nM. Moreover, the PEC sensor also exhibited high anti-interference property and acceptable stability. In the present study, a Bi-CuS/Bi2WO6 photoelectrode is considered a promising candidate for carrying out PEC analysis.

Cu-nanoparticle-decorated sulfur-based polymers for highly sensitive nonenzymatic glucose detection

The synthesis of a Cu@S-co-BIM composite was achieved and the nonenzymatic sensing of glucose was carried out using a Cu@S-co-BIM-modified electrode.

Nanostructured Anodic Copper Oxides as Catalysts in Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Reactions

Recently, nanostructured copper oxides formed via anodizing have been intensively researched due to their potential catalytic applications in emerging issues. The anodic Cu2O and CuO nanowires or nanoneedles are attractive photo- and electrocatalysts since they show wide array of desired electronic and morphological features, such as highly-developed surface area. In CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR) copper and copper-based nanostructures indicate unique adsorption properties to crucial reaction intermediates. Furthermore, anodized copper-based materials enable formation of C2+ hydrocarbons and alcohols with enhanced selectivity. Moreover, anodic copper oxides provide outstanding turnover frequencies in electrochemical methanol oxidation at lowered overpotentials. Therefore, they can be considered as precious metals electrodes substituents in direct methanol fuel cells. Additionally, due to the presence of Cu(III)/Cu(II) redox couple, these materials find application as electrodes for non-enzymatic glucose sensors. In photoelectrochemistry, Cu2O-CuO heterostructures of anodic copper oxides with highly-developed surface area are attractive for water splitting. All the above-mentioned aspects of anodic copper oxides derived catalysts with state-of-the-art background have been reviewed within this paper.