Carbon nanotube template synthesis of hierarchical NiCoO₂ composite for non-enzyme glucose detection

A step-wise method to synthesize uniform NiCoO₂ nanosheets on carbon nanotubes (CNT) is designed for non-enzyme glucose detection. CNT is coated with a sulfonated polystyrene layer on which the sulfonic acid group is capable to absorb metal ions and induce the growth of nanostructured metal oxides. Owing to the smart architecture and synergistic effect provided by the individual ingredients, the NiCoO₂@CNT-modified electrode shows fast surface reaction kinetics and excellent catalytic properties towards glucose oxidation. As electrode material for non-enzyme glucose sensors, it displays good analytical performance for glucose with response sensitivity of 1424.41 μA mM^-1, low detection limit of 1.14 μM, satisfactory selectivity and stability.