Nickel oxide thin film from electrodeposited nickel sulfide thin film: peroxide sensing and photo-decomposition of phenol

Abstract

A novel non-enzymatic peroxide sensor has been constructed by using nickel oxide (NiO) thin films as sensing material, which were prepared by a two-step process: (i) electrodeposition of nickel sulfide (NiS) and (ii) thermal air oxidation of as-deposited NiS to NiO. The resultant material is highly porous and comprises interconnected nanofibers. UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used for a complete characterization of nanostructured NiO thin films. Cyclic voltammetry study shows that NiO/ITO electrode facilitates the oxidation of hydrogen peroxide and exhibits excellent catalytic activity towards its sensing. The amperometric study of NiO/ITO was carried out to determine the sensitivity, linear range, detection limit of the proposed sensor. The sensor exhibits prominent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of H₂O₂ with a wide linear range and a low detection limit. The possible use of the synthesized NiO thin films as an effective photocatalyst for the decomposition of phenol is also discussed.