Surfactant free template assisted electrodeposited n-type nano-cubic Cu2O thin films for nonenzymatic glucose sensing

Amperometric sensing measurements of glucose were performed using n-Cu2O nano-cubic films fabricated on Ti using a surfactant free template aided electrodeposition method. The electrochemical performance of these films in the presence of aqueous glucose was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Amperometric sensing measurements of glucose for the nano-cubic Cu2O/Ti electrode were significantly better than the microcrystalline counterpart prepared under similar electrodeposition conditions without the aid of a template. Measurements yielded a sensitivity of 28.4 ± 0.2 µA mM−1 cm−2 at an applied potential of +0.6 V with a lower detection limit of 15.6 µM and a linear range of detection from 17 to 11,650 μM. The linear range is one of the best ever reported, for a copper oxide-based amperometric glucose sensing electrode. Films were characterized using XRD and SEM.