Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes: an efficient electrocatalyst for non-enzymatic glucose sensing with a wide detection range

Abstract

In this communication, for the first time, an easy preparation method of nickel–iron (Ni–Fe) hybrid nanocubes for glucose oxidation, which is highly efficient in alkaline media, is described. As an impressive redox probe for glucose, the Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes exhibit many remarkable sensing performances, for example, low-response time (7 s), broad detection range (from 10 μM to 20.5 mM), and low detection limit (0.64 μM, S/N = 3). The selectivity, reliability and stability of the Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes for glucose oxidation are also investigated. The glucose sensor based on Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes shows a superior sensing performance to that of Ni-based or Fe-based electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, the Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes were used to detect glucose in real samples of human blood serum. All the findings demonstrate that the glucose sensor based on Ni–Fe hybrid nanocubes is successful for glucose detection and shows promise for future applications in medical diagnostics, the food industry and biological processes.