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Enzyme-free glucose sensor using a glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide decorated with mixed copper and cobalt oxides

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Abstract

We describe a binary porous catalyst consisting of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support decorated with mixed Cu-Co oxides. It was synthesized electrochemically and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The nanocomposite was deposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) where it exhibits better electrocatalytic activities for glucose oxidation compared to GCEs modified with CuOx or CoOx only on an rGO support. The improved electrocatalytic activities are believed to result from the synergistic effect of CuOx-CoOx binary catalyst, the high conductivity of rGO support, and the porous scaffold. The amperometric sensor, operated in 0.1 M NaOH at a working potential of +0.5 V (vs. SCE), displays a calibration plot for glucose that is linear in the 5 to 570 μM concentration range, and the detection limit is 0.5 μM. The performance of the sensor was evaluated by determination of glucose in (spiked) human urine.

A binary porous catalyst consisting of a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) support decorated with mixed Cu-Co oxides was synthesized on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) through a two-step electrochemical method and used as electrocatalyst for direct oxidation of glucose.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21105002, 21273010), the fund project for Young Scholar sponsored by Henan province (14HASTIT012, 13HASTIT014, 2013GGJS-147) and for Henan Key Technologies R&D Program (122102310516, 12B150002) and the Innovative Foundation for the College students of China and Anyang Normal University (201310479012, ASCX/2015-Z14).

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  1. Key Laboratory for Clearer Energy and Functional Materials of Henan Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anyang Normal University, Anyang, Henan, 455000, China

    Su-Juan Li, Lin-Lin Hou, Bai-Qing Yuan, Meng-Zhu Chang, Yu Ma & Ji-Min Du

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  1. Su-Juan Li
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Correspondence to Su-Juan Li.

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Li, SJ., Hou, LL., Yuan, BQ. et al. Enzyme-free glucose sensor using a glassy carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide decorated with mixed copper and cobalt oxides. Microchim Acta 183, 1813–1821 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1817-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1817-4

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