Monolithically integrated copper phosphide nanowire: An efficient electrocatalyst for sensitive and selective nonenzymatic glucose detection

The detection of glucose plays a significant role in diagnostics and management of diabetes and it is thus desired to develop non-noble-metal electrocatalyst for nonenzymatic glucose sensing. This work demonstrates the first use of monolithically integrated copper phosphide nanowire on copper foam (Cu3P NW/CF) as an efficient catalyst for electrochemical oxidation of glucose. As a nonenzymatic glucose sensor, this Cu3P NW/CF exhibits a low detection limit of 0.32 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 with a linear range from 0.005 to 1 mM (R2 = 0.997). It also shows high anti-interference property to other normally co-existing electroactive species including lactose, fructose, ascorbic acid, uric acid, urea, dopiamine, and sucorse as well as excellent resistance to chloride poisoning. Its application for glucose detection in human serum sample is also demonstrated successfully.