Size controlled copper (I) oxide nanoparticles influence sensitivity of glucose biosensor

Abstract

Copper (I) oxide (Cu2O) is an appealing semiconducting oxide with potential applications in various fields ranging from photovoltaics to biosensing. The precise control of size and shape of Cu2O nanostructures has been an area of intense research. Here, the electrodeposition of Cu2O nanoparticles is presented with precise size variations by utilizing ethylenediamine (EDA) as a size controlling agent. The size of the Cu2O nanoparticles was successfully varied between 54.09 nm to 966.97 nm by changing the concentration of EDA in the electrolytic bath during electrodeposition. The large surface area of the Cu2O nanoparticles present an attractive platform for immobilizing glucose oxidase for glucose biosensing. The fabricated enzymatic biosensor exhibited a rapid response time of <2 s. The limit of detection was 0.1 μM and the sensitivity of the glucose biosensor was 1.54 mA/cm2. mM. The Cu2O nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.