Spherulitic copper–copper oxide nanostructure-based highly sensitive nonenzymatic glucose sensor

In this work, three different spherulitic nanostructures Cu-CuOA, Cu-CuOB, and Cu-CuOC were synthesized in water-in-oil microemulsions by varying the surfactant concentration (30 mM, 40 mM, and 50 mM, respectively). The structural and morphological characteristics of the Cu-CuO nanostructures were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques. The synthesized nanostructures were deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-modified indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes to fabricate a nonenzymatic highly sensitive amperometric glucose sensor. The performance of the ITO/MWCNT/Cu-CuO electrodes in the glucose assay was examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometric studies. The sensitivity of the sensor varied with the spherulite type; Cu-CuOA, Cu-CuOB, and Cu-CuOC exhibited a sensitivity of 1,229, 3,012, and 3,642 µA mM(-1)·cm(-2), respectively. Moreover, the linear range is dependent on the structure types: 0.023-0.29 mM, 0.07-0.8 mM, and 0.023-0.34 mM for Cu-CuOA, Cu-CuOB, and Cu-CuOC, respectively. An excellent response time of 3 seconds and a low detection limit of 2 µM were observed for Cu-CuOB at an applied potential of +0.34 V. In addition, this electrode was found to be resistant to interference by common interfering agents such as urea, cystamine, L-ascorbic acid, and creatinine. The high performance of the Cu-CuO spherulites with nanowire-to-nanorod outgrowths was primarily due to the high surface area and stability, and good three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, the ITO/MWCNT/Cu-CuOB electrode applied to real urine and serum sample showed satisfactory performance.