Co/CoO nanoparticles armored by N-doped nanoporous carbon polyhedrons towards glucose oxidation in high-performance non-enzymatic sensors

Abstract

Glucose determination with high sensitivity is crucial in human serum and food products. Herein, Co/CoO nanoparticles attached on the outer shell and inner core of porous N-doped carbon polyhedrons (Co/CoO/N-C) were successfully prepared from zeolite imidazole frameworks (ZIF-67) via a pyrolysis–reorganization method, and their sensing performances towards glucose oxidation were demonstrated. For comparison, the ZIF-67, Co₃O₄ and the sample from ZIF-67@PDA were also tested. Moreover, the experimental results indicated that the Co/CoO/N-C sensor exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance for glucose oxidation, such as high sensitivity (143.9 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²), a wide linear detection range (0.01–16.65 mM) and a low detection limit (0.8 μM, S/N = 3), as well as satisfactory stability and reproducibility. Furthermore, the proposed sensor presented feasibility in real samples. This study may offer a possible way to design and develop MOF-derived electrocatalysts for disease diagnosis and food quality control.