Mesoporous ZnS-NiS composites are prepared via ion- exchange reactions using ZnS as the precursor. The prepared mesoporous ZnS-NiS composite materials have large surface areas (137.9 m(2) g(-1)) compared with the ZnS precursor. More importantly, the application of these mesoporous ZnS-NiS composites as nonenzymatic glucose sensors was successfully explored. Electrochemical sensors based on mesoporous ZnS-NiS composites exhibit a high selectivity and a low detection limit (0.125 μm) toward the oxidation of glucose, which can mainly be attributed to the morphological characteristics of the mesoporous structure with high specific surface area and a rational composition of the two constituents. In addition, the mesoporous ZnS-NiS composites coated on the surface of electrodes can be used to modify the mass transport regime, and this alteration can, in favorable circumstances, facilitate the amperometric discrimination between species. These results suggest that such mesoporous ZnS-NiS composites are promising materials for nonenzymatic glucose sensors.
Keywords: ZnS–NiS composites; electrochemical sensors; glucose; mesoporous materials; nanoparticles.