Composition-selective fabrication of ordered intermetallic Au-Cu nanowires and their application to nano-size electrochemical glucose detection

Nanotechnology. 2015 Jun 19;26(24):245702. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/26/24/245702. Epub 2015 May 27.

Abstract

Bimetallic nanostructures can provide distinct and improved physicochemical properties by the coupling effect of the two metal components, making them promising materials for a variety of applications. Herein, we report composition-selective fabrication of ordered intermetallic Au-Cu nanowires (NWs) by two-step chemical vapor transport method and their application to nano-electrocatalytic glucose detection. Ordered intermetallic Au3Cu and AuCu3 NWs are topotaxially fabricated by supplying Cu-containing chemicals to pre-synthesized single-crystalline Au NW arrays. The composition of fabricated Au-Cu NWs can be selected by changing the concentration of Cu-containing species. Interestingly, Au3Cu NW electrodes show unique electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation, allowing us to detect glucose without interference from ascorbic acid. Such interference-free detection of glucose is attributed to the synergistic effect, induced by incorporation of Cu in Au. We anticipate that Au3Cu NWs could show possibility as efficient nano-size electrochemical glucose sensors and the present fabrication method can be employed to fabricate valuable ordered intermetallic nanostructures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques
  • Copper / chemistry*
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Glucose / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Nanowires / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction

Substances

  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Glucose