Ultrasensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensors based on different copper oxide nanostructures by in-situ growth

• With the in-situ growth method, three CuO nanostructures are synthesized, respectively. • Highly conductive carbon clothes with multiple channels are selected as substrate, providing more sites for active substance. • The method performs its superiority due to its low-cost, simple procedure. • All electrodes display a high sensitivity, fast response and low detection limit towards glucose. • On basis of in-suit growth method, the relationship between nanostructures and sensitivity as well as stability has been explored. Different nanostructures of copper oxide (CuO) by in-situ growth on carbon clothes (CC) are prepared to develop ultrasensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensors. The electrochemical performance of the CuO-based electrodes for detecting glucose has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry. The CuO nanosheets (CuO NSs)/CC electrode demonstrates a high sensitivity of 4902 μA mM −1 cm −2 at an applied potential of 0.55 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl) in alkaline solution, and it shows 2973 μA mM −1 cm −2 and 1246 μA mM −1 cm −2 for the CuO nanowires (CuO NWs)/CC and CuO nanoparticles (CuO NPs)/CC, respectively. Ascribing to high conductivity of CC, high specific surface-area from CuO nanostructures, and facilitated charge transfer through in-situ grown structure, the electrodes demonstrate ultrasensitive, selective, stable and fast amperometric sensing (<3 s) of glucose, which presents a new strategy to develop non-enzymatic glucose sensors.