Selective decoration of nickel and nickel oxide nanocrystals on multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A simple route to selective decoration of nickel and nickel oxide nanocrystals on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) using nickel acetylacetonate (NAA) was successfully achieved for the first time. The homogeneously decorated nanocrystals on MWCNTs were investigated for their structure and morphology by various techniques, such as powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. It was found that the size distributions of the nanocrystals on MWCNTs ranged from 8 to 15 nm and they were well resolved. The precursor, NAA, was effectively employed to impregnate the MWCNTs, which on calcination at suitable temperatures and in the presence of hydrogen and nitrogen atmosphere gave rise to nickel and nickel oxide nanocrystals, respectively.     

Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase based on its direct immobilization on carbon ionic liquid electrode and glucose sensing

Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOx) has been achieved by its direct immobilization on carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) with a conductive hydrophobic ionic liquid, 1-butyl pyridinium hexafluophosphate ([BuPy][PF₆]) as binder for the first time. A pair of reversible peaks is exhibited on GOx/CILE by cyclic voltammetry. The peak-to-peak potential separation (ΔE_P) of immobilized GOx is 0.056 V in 0.067 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.98) with scan rate of 0.1 V/s. The average surface coverage and the apparent Michaelis–Menten constant are 6.69 × 10⁻¹¹ mol·cm⁻² and 2.47 μM. GOx/CILE shows excellent electrocatalytic activity towards glucose determination in the range of 0.1–800 μM with detection limit of 0.03 μM (S/N = 3). The biosensor has been successfully applied to the determination of glucose in human plasma with the average recoveries between 95.0% and 102.5% for three times determination. The direct electrochemistry of GOx on CILE is achieved without the help of any supporting film or any electron mediator. GOx/CILE is inexpensive, stable, repeatable and easy to be fabricated.     

Glucose biosensors based on the immobilization of copper oxide and glucose oxidase within a carbon paste matrix

The performance of amperometric glucose biosensors based on the dispersion of glucose oxidase (GOx) and copper oxide within a classical carbon (graphite) paste composite is reported in this work. Copper oxide promotes an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation and reduction of hydrogen peroxide, allowing a large decrease in the oxidation and reduction overpotentials, as well as an important enhancement of the corresponding currents. Therefore, it is possible to perform the glucose biosensing at low potentials where there is no interference even in large excess of ascorbic acid, uric acid or acetaminophen. The influence of the copper oxide and glucose oxidase content in the paste on the analytical performance of the bioelectrode is discussed. The resulting biosensor shows a fast response, a linear relationship between current and glucose concentration up to 1.35 × 10⁻² M (2.43 g L⁻¹) and a detection limit of 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ M. The effect of the presence of the enzyme in the composite material on the dispersion of the copper oxide particles is also discussed.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of nickel hydroxide nanostructures in mixed solvents of water and alcohol

Nickel hydroxide nanosheets and flowers have been hydrothermally synthesized using Ni(CH₃COO)₂·4H₂O in mixed solvents of ethylene glycol (EG) or ethanol and deionized water at 200 °C for different time. The phase and morphology of the obtained products can be controlled by adjusting the experimental parameters, including the hydrothermal time and the volume ratio of water to EG or ethanol. The possible reaction mechanism and growth of the nanosheets and nanoflowers are discussed based on the experimental results. Porous nickel oxide nanosheets are obtained by heating nickel hydroxide nanosheets in air at 400 °C. The products were characterized by using various methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The electrochemical property of β-Ni(OH)₂ nanosheets was investigated through the cyclic voltammogram (CV) measurement.     

Graphene oxide amplified electrochemiluminescence of graphitic carbon nitride and its application in ultrasensitive sensing for Cu

Here for the first time, we present a novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on graphitic carbon nitride/graphene oxide (g-C₃N₄/GO) hybrid for the ultrasensitive detection of Cu²⁺, which is a common pollutant in environmental system. The g-C₃N₄/GO shows stable ECL signal in the presence of the self-produced coreactant from oxygen reduction, and the ECL signal could be effectively quenched by Cu²⁺, the possible ECL detection mechanism has been proposed in detail. GO can not only significantly enhance the cathodic ECL signal of g-C₃N₄ (∼3.8 times), but also serve as immobilization platform for g-C₃N₄. After optimization of experimental conditions, the proposed protocol can offer an ultrasensitive, highly selective and recyclable method for the detection of Cu²⁺ with a low detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻¹¹ M and a wide linear range from 1.0 × 10⁻¹¹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ M. Moreover, the practicability of the ECL sensor in real wastewater samples is also tested, showing that the proposed ECL sensor could be a promising alternative method for the emergency and routine monitoring of Cu²⁺ in real sample.     

Preparation and characterization of Prussian blue nanowire array and bioapplication for glucose biosensing

Prussian blue nanowire array (PBNWA) was prepared via electrochemical deposition with polycarbonate membrane template for effective modification of glassy carbon electrode. The PBNWA electrode thus obtained was demonstrated to have high-catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide in neutral media. This enabled the PBNWA electrode to show rapid response to H₂O₂ at a low potential of −0.1 V over a wide range of concentrations from 1 × 10⁻⁷ M to 5 × 10⁻² M with a high sensitivity of 183 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². Such a low-working potential also substantially improved the selectivity of the PBNWA electrode against most electroactive species such as ascorbic acid and uric acid in physiological media. A detection limit of 5 × 10⁻⁸ M was obtained using the PBNWA electrode for H₂O₂, which compared favorably with most electroanalysis procedures for H₂O₂. A biosensor toward glucose was then constructed with the PBNWA electrode as the basic electrode by crosslinking glucose oxidase (GOx). The glucose biosensor allowed rapid, selective and sensitive determination of glucose at −0.1 V. The amperometric response exhibited a linear correlation to glucose concentration through an expanded range from 2 × 10⁻⁶ M to 1 × 10⁻² M, and the response time and detection limit were determined to be 3 s and 1 μM, respectively.     

Synthesis of nickel nanoparticles and carbon encapsulated nickel nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes

Nickel nanoparticles were prepared and uniformly supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by reduction route with CNTs as a reducing agent at 600 °C. As-prepared nickel nanoparticles were single crystalline with a face-center-cubic phase and a size distribution ranging from 10 to 50 nm, and they were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These nickel nanoparticles would be coated with graphene layers, when they were exposed to acetylene at 600 °C. The coercivity values of nickel nanoparticles were superior to that of bulk nickel at room temperature.     

Preparation and properties of nickel site doped material Ni1-yXyCo2O4 as supercapacitor materials by in-situ growth method

Although NiCo₂O₄ has been widely applied in supercapacitors, its actual capacity has been limited by the low conductivity and reactivity. Due to the relationship between the performance of the spinel-structured NiCo₂O₄ electrode material and its microstructure, in this paper, in order to modify the nanostructure of NiCo₂O₄ to improve its electrochemical performance, hydrothermal method is adopted to synthesize Ni_0.98X_0.02Co₂O₄(X = Fe, Cu, Mg, V, Ag, Mn, Mo, Ti) grown on nickel foam. After the synthesis, the physical morphology of the selected Ni_0.98Mg_0.02Co₂O₄ and Ni_0.98Mn_0.02Co₂O₄ are tested and analyzed by XRD, SEM, XPS and FT-IR. According to the characterization results, it can be found that different kinds of metals are doped in the nickel site of NiCo₂O₄, and the microscopic morphology of materials is different. It can be seen from the SEM figure that Ni_0.98Mg_0.02Co₂O₄ is a small nano-scale particle, while Ni_0.98Mn_0.02Co₂O₄ presents rod-like braided structure, and doping at the nickel site does not affect the main structure of the material. It can be seen from EDS data that the atomic ratio and weight ratio of nickel and cobalt elements are consistent with the molecular formula. The XPS spectra of the corresponding elements showed that Ni, Co and O elements were corresponding to NiCo₂O₄ materials. In conclusion, the result of physical morphology characterization analysis shows that the material is still in standard NiCo₂O₄ spinel structure.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Titanium‐Supported Nickel Nanoflakes for Electrochemical Oxidation of Glucose

Titanium‐supported nanoscale flaky nickel electrode (nanoNi/Ti) was prepared by a hydrothermal process using hydrazine hydrate as a reduction agent. Its electrocatalytic activity as an electrocatalyst for the electrooxidation of glucose was evaluated in alkaline solutions using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometric responses (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS). The nanoNi/Ti electrode exhibits significantly high current density of glucose oxidation. A high catalytic rate constant of 1.67×10⁶ cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 was calculated from amperometric responses on the nanoNi/Ti electrode. Low charge transfer resistances on the nanoNi/Ti in 0.5 M NaOH containing various concentrations of glucose were obtained according to the analysis for EIS. Furthermore, amperometric data show a linear dependence of the current density for glucose oxidation upon glucose concentration in the range of 0.05–0.6 mM with a sensitivity of 7.32 mA cm^?2 mM^?1. A detection limit of 0.0012 mM (1.2 μM) M glucose was found. Results show that the prepared nanoNi/Ti electrode presents high electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation.     

Impact of polypyrrole incorporation on nickel oxide@multi walled carbon nanotube composite for application in supercapacitors

In this article we report the synthesis of polypyrrole incorporated nickel oxide multi walled carbon nanotube (NiO@NMWCNT/PPy) composites by thermal reduction protocol for supercapacitor applications. The structural and morphological properties of the composites were confirmed by the aid of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Field-emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) analysis indicating the hexagonal crystal structure of NiO decorated on NMWCNT/Ppy. The electrochemical characteristics of the NiO@MWCNT/PPy composite were analyzed in the presence of 2 M KOH as an electrolyte. The NiO@NMWCNT/PPy nanostructured composite produced a plenty of active sites for ion migration reactions that facilitate the energy storage mechanism. As a proof of concept demonstration, the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy composite was explored as an electrode materials in supercapacitor and exhibited specific capacitance of 395 F g⁻¹ and cyclic stability up to 5000 cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹. Enhanced performance of composite is attributed to the incorporation of polypyrrole in NiO@NMWCNT. The improved capacitance and cyclic stability demonstrated by the composite indicates the NiO@NMWCNT/PPy to be a promising candidate for supercapacitor applications.     

Graphene oxide-thionine-Au nanostructure composites: Preparation and applications in non-enzymatic glucose sensing

Herein, we demonstrated a facile strategy for preparing high-loading Au nanoparticles using thionine functionalized graphene oxide as the supporting material. Glassy carbon electrodes modified with the as-obtained nanocomposites showed remarkably electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose, leading to an enzymeless glucose sensor with a wide linear range and a lower detection limit of 0.05 μmol/L.     

Nickel oxide coated on ultrasonically pretreated carbon nanotubes for supercapacitor

Nickel oxide/carbon nanotubes (NiO/CNTs) composite materials for supercapacitor are prepared by chemically depositing nickel hydroxide onto carbon nanotubes pretreated by ultrasonication and followed by thermal annealing at 300 °C. A series of NiO/CNTs composites with different weight ratios of nickel oxide versus carbon nanotubes are synthesized via the same route. The high-resolution TEM and SEM results show that a lot of nicks, which favored the nucleation of the nickel hydroxide formed on the outer walls of carbon nanotubes due to ultrasonic cavitations, and then nickel oxide coated uniformly on the outer surface of the individual carbon nanotubes. The NiO/CNTs electrode presents a maximum specific capacitance of 523 F/g as well as a good cycle life during 1,000 cycles in 6 M KOH electrolyte. The good electrochemical characteristics of NiO/CNTs composite can be attributed to the three-dimensionally interconnected nanotubular structure with a thin film of electroactive materials.     

Effect of charge state and stoichiometry on the structure and reactivity of nickel oxide clusters with CO

The collision induced fragmentation and reactivity of cationic and anionic nickel oxide clusters with carbon monoxide were studied experimentally using guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry. Anionic clusters with a stoichiometry containing one more oxygen atom than nickel atom (NiO₂⁻, Ni₂O₃⁻, Ni₃O₄⁻ and Ni₄O₅⁻) were found to exhibit dominant products resulting from the transfer of a single oxygen atom to CO, suggesting the formation of CO₂. Of these four species, Ni₂O₃⁻ and Ni₄O₅⁻ were observed to be the most reactive having oxygen transfer products accounting for approximately 5% and 10% of the total ion intensity at a maximum pressure of 15 mTorr of CO. Our findings, therefore, indicate that anionic nickel oxide clusters containing an even number of nickel atoms and an odd number of oxygen atoms are more reactive than those with an odd number of nickel atoms and an even number of oxygen atoms. The majority of cationic nickel oxides, in contrast to anionic species, reacted preferentially through the adsorption of CO onto the cluster accompanied by the loss of either molecular O₂ or nickel oxide units. The adsorption of CO onto positively charged nickel oxides, therefore, is exothermic enough to break apart the gas-phase clusters. Collision induced dissociation experiments, employing inert xenon gas, were also conducted to gain insight into the structural properties of nickel oxide clusters. The fragmentation products were found to vary considerably with size and stoichiometry as well as ionic charge state. In general, cationic clusters favored the collisional loss of molecular O₂ while anionic clusters fragmented through the loss of both atomic oxygen and nickel oxide units. Our results provide insight into the effect of ionic charge state on the structure of nickel oxide clusters. Furthermore, we establish how the size and stoichiometry of nickel oxide clusters influences their ability to oxidize CO, an important reaction for environmental pollution abatement.     

NiS2纳米片的制备及其在非对称超级电容器中的应用

本文采用牺牲模板法,以Ni(OH)₂作为前驱体制备NiS₂. 通过对NiS₂进行XRD、EDS、BET、SEM及TEM等表征来研究NiS₂的元素组成及结构形貌. SEM及TEM结果显示前驱体及NiS₂均为纳米片结构. 电化学测试结果表明NiS₂存在着优秀的电容性能,在电流密度为1 A·g^-1时,NiS₂比电容能够达到1067.3 F·g^-1,同时具有高的倍率特性. 为了进一步探究NiS₂作为电活性材料的实用性,以NiS₂作为阳极材料,活性炭（AC）作为阴极组装成非对称超级电容器,在功率密度为0.8 kW·kg^-1,能量密度高达38.4 Wh·kg^-1,并且在3000次恒流充放电后,比电容依然保持93.7%.     

A highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensor based on a simple two-step electrodeposition of cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles onto multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays

A novel, stable and highly sensitive non-enzymatic glucose (Glc) sensor was developed using vertically well-aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes array (MWCNTs) incorporated with cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. The MWCNTs array was prepared by catalytic chemical vapor deposition on a tantalum (Ta) substrate, while a simple and rapid two-step electrodeposition technique was used to prepare the CuO-MWCNTs nanocomposite. First, Cu nanoparticles were deposited onto MWCNTs at constant potential and then they were oxidized into CuO by potential cycling. The electrocatalytic activity of CuO-MWCNTs array was investigated for Glc under alkaline conditions using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The sensor exhibited a linear response up to 3 mM of Glc and sensitivity of 2190 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², which is two to three orders of magnitude higher than that of most non-enzymatic Glc sensors reported in the literature. The sensor response time is less than 2 s and detection limit is 800 nM (at signal/noise = 3). When tested with human blood serum samples, the sensor exhibited high electrocatalytic activity, stability, fast response and good selectivity against common interfering species, suggesting its potential to be developed as a non-enzymatic Glc sensor.     

水热微乳液法制备低维硫化镍纳米晶

以W/O型微乳液CTAB/正戊醇/正己烷/水为反应介质,以CS₂为硫源,在130℃水热条件下成功地合成了硫化镍二维纳米薄层片和一维纳米针(管).TEM结果表明,水热初期(5h)得到的是二维纳米薄层片,随着水热时间的延长(15h),层片结构消失,出现一维的空心纳米针结构.XRD谱表明,纳米薄层片主要为六方相NiS_1.03,纳米针则为NiS_1.03与少量针镍矿相NiS的混合物.所得的纳米层片很薄,其厚度小于10nm;纳米针的直径为30～150nm,长度超过1000nm.空心的纳米针及中间态结构表明,一维纳米针是由二维纳米薄层片卷曲而得到的.二维薄层片结构的形成可归功于微乳液互不相溶的二相环境下低的S₂-释放速率以及较高温度和压强下球形微乳液向层状相结构转变而得的二维软模板的导向作用.     

CuO纳米片催化H2O2氧化降解亚甲基蓝

以十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)为保护剂, 采用水热法成功制备了CuO纳米片. 将制备的CuO纳米片在H₂O₂存在下用于催化氧化降解亚甲基蓝, 探讨了其在不同反应条件(如温度、氧化剂浓度及催化剂用量)下对亚甲基蓝降解反应的影响. 该催化反应符合一级动力学模型, 活化能为54.0kJ/mol. CuO纳米片表现出非常高的催化活性, 但其稳定性与重复利用性有待于进一步提高.     

泡沫镍及负载型镍催化剂制备纳米碳纤维层的研究

纳米碳纤维可用在催化材料、储氢材料、及纳米电子器件等方面。本文对用泡沫镍及负载型镍催化剂催化分解乙烯或丙烯制备纳米碳纤维进行了研究。利用X射线衍射仪、物理吸附仪、扫描电镜进行了分析表征,并考察了催化剂、碳源、生长温度对纳米碳纤维生长量、形貌、结构的影响。结果表明:在生长温度450℃,乙烯流率30mL/m in的条件下,负载型镍催化剂纳米碳纤维的生长量要高出泡沫镍3~6倍,负载型镍催化剂制备的纳米碳纤维直径为40~60纳米,小于泡沫镍的情况。泡沫镍催化分解乙烯制备纳米碳纤维时,纳米碳纤维的生长量和平均直径随温度的降低而逐渐减小。纳米碳纤维在泡沫镍上的最低生长温度为420℃,在低于480℃生长纳米碳纤维时泡沫镍的骨架结构不会被破坏,由此制备的纳米碳纤维在新型结构催化材料中有很好的的应用前景。     

Flow-injection analysis of glucose without enzyme based on electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose at a nickel electrode

This paper reports a flow-injection analysis (FIA) of glucose not using enzyme based on the electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose at a nickel electrode. The electrocatalytic mechanism and quantificational method of glucose have been investigated. The current intensity of the electrocatalytic oxidation to glucose at the potential of 550 mV is proportional to the concentration of glucose over the range of 0.10-2.50 mmol l⁻¹, with a 0.04 mmol l⁻¹ detection limit (S/N = 3) and a correlation coefficient of 0.9991. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) is less than 4.3% (n = 5) for the determination of practical serum samples. The biologic compounds probably existed in the sample, such as ascorbic acid, uric acid, dopamine and epinephrine, do not disturb the determination of glucose. The result is satisfactory for the determination of glucose in human serum sample as comparison to that from the routine hexokinase method.     

Integration of a highly ordered gold nanowires array with glucose oxidase for ultra-sensitive glucose detection

A highly sensitive amperometric nanobiosensor has been developed by integration of glucose oxidase (GO_x) with a gold nanowires array (AuNWA) by cross-linking with a mixture of glutaraldehyde (GLA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). An initial investigation of the morphology of the synthesized AuNWA by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM) revealed that the nanowires array was highly ordered with rough surface, and the electrochemical features of the AuNWA with/without modification were also investigated. The integrated AuNWA–BSA–GLA–GO_x nanobiosensor with Nafion membrane gave a very high sensitivity of 298.2 μA cm⁻² mM⁻¹ for amperometric detection of glucose, while also achieving a low detection limit of 0.1 μM, and a wide linear range of 5–6000 μM. Furthermore, the nanobiosensor exhibited excellent anti-interference ability towards uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA) with the aid of Nafion membrane, and the results obtained for the analysis of human blood serum indicated that the device is capable of glucose detection in real samples.