Copper Nanowires-SWCNTs Hybrid Composite for Enhanced Glucose Electrooxidation and Detection in Alkaline Medium

A novel hybrid composite based electrocatalyst consisting of copper nanowires (Cu NWs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was introduced for glucose electrooxidation and monitoring in alkaline medium. The morphology, chemical composition, and crystalline structure of the as-prepared Cu NWs-SWCNTs hybrid composite were examined by SEM, EDX, and XRD. The electrocatalytic property of Cu NWs-SWNTs for glucose electrooxidation was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, and enhanced performance was observed due to the synergistic effect between Cu NWs and SWCNTs. Further application of the hybrid composite for glucose monitoring showed a wide dynamic range with a limit of detection of 89 nM (S/N = 3), an excellent sensitivity (637.3 μA · cm^–2 · mM^–1, and good selectivity against commonly interfering species. These results indicate that Cu NWs-SWCNTs hybrid composite is a promising material in various applications ranging from energy (e.g., direct glucose fuel cell) to sensors (e.g., monitoring of glucose production/consumption related industrial processes).