Low temperature growth of CuS nanosheets on hollow Co9S8 nanotubes: Synthesis and analytical application

Transition metal sulfides have found wide applications as promising catalysts and electrocatalysts. Herein, hollow Co9S8 nanotubes were prepared through hydrothermal method, on which CuS nanosheets were grown at low temperature, and hollow Co9S8@CuS heterostructure nanocomposite was synthesized. The prepared hollow Co9S8 nanotubes possess high specific surface area and efficient charge transfer ability, offering an ideal substrate for the growth of CuS nanosheets. Furthermore, the hollow structure of the synthesized Co9S8@CuS can accelerate mass transfer and provide more reaction sites with the specific area of 36.79 m2/g, and the heterostructure between Co9S8 and CuS enhanced their synergistic effect on the conductivity and electrocatalytic activities. For analytical application, the synthesized Co9S8@CuS nanocomposite was applied for the determination of glucose and H2O2, with the charge transfer rate constants of 3.89 and 1.94 s−1, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the Co9S8@CuS-modified glassy carbon electrode exhibits wide linear ranges of 0.03–13 mM and 0.05–14 mM with detection limits of 5.64 μM and 6.06 μM for the oxidation of glucose and the reduction of H2O2, respectively. Additionally, real sample analyses demonstrate satisfying recoveries of 96.43 % and 101.65 % to glucose and H2O2, respectively, indicating its potential to quantitatively analyze the real samples.