In-situ co-precipitation of Bi-MOF derivatives for highly sensitive electrochemical glucose sensing

• Enhancing the conductivity of CuCo-MOFs through in-situ method. • Bimetallic synergy improves the sensing characteristics by co-precipitation method. • Improving the conductivity, active sites, and stability of the sophisticated hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives through thermal condensation-induced structural transformation. • An optimized MOF-based electrode for highly sensitive and ultra-stable electrochemical glucose sensing. Bimetallic organic frameworks (Bi-MOFs) have been recognized as one of the hotpots for electrochemical sensing due to their high surface area, abundant active sites, tunable structures and porosity. However, inadequate conductivity and hidden active site of MOFs remain as great challenges, hindered its further development. Here, an in-situ co-precipitation strategy was proposed for preparing sophisticated hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives with excellent glucose sensing. Firstly, uniform CuO nanorods as the precursor are synthesized in situ on a Carbon Cloth (CC). Subsequently, Cu-BTC and Co-BTC were co-precipitated on the precursor, while the significant effect of incremental Co 2+ doping concentration was investigated. Finally, Cu/Co-MOF derivatives are successfully obtained by controlled thermal structural transformation. Due to the synergistic effect of bimetallic oxides and the exposed active sites, the prepared sensing electrode exhibits high sensitivity (4.93 mA mM −1 cm −2 ), fast response time (2.9 s), and outstanding long-term stability (30 days). This study proposes a practical method for in-situ synthesizing hierarchical Bi-MOF derivatives, which provides wide-ranging prospects in the field of electrochemical sensing.