Facile fabrication of CuO nanowire modified Cu electrode for non-enzymatic glucose detection with enhanced sensitivity

In this paper the fabrication of CuO nanowires (CuO NWs) by a facile two-step method is reported. Cu(OH)₂ nanowires (Cu(OH)₂ NWs) on a copper surface were prepared at room temperature by a simple solution-based procedure, and subsequent calcinations of Cu(OH)₂ NWs led to the formation of CuO NWs. The morphologies and structures of Cu(OH)₂ NWs and CuO NWs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical measurements showed that the CuO NWs modified Cu electrode exhibited good electrocatalytic behavior for the detection of glucose with a wide linear range from 2 μM to 3.56 mM (R² = 0.9984), a low detection limit down to 0.05 μM, and a high sensitivity of 1886.3 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². The sensor also displayed a high selectivity, an acceptable reproducibility, an excellent long-term stability and good repeatability. Moreover, the as-prepared sensor has great potential in practical applications.