Dispersed CuO nanoparticles on a silicon nanowire for improved performance of nonenzymatic H2O2 detection

A finely dispersed CuO nanoparticle electrocatalyst on a silicon nanowire (SiNW) was achieved via a designed, precursor-mediated strategy by combining metal-assisted chemical etching, electroless deposition, and thermal oxidation. The CuO assembled on silicon nanowires (CuO-SiNWs) showed a competent sensitivity of 22.27 μA/mM, a wider linear range from 0.01 to 13.18 mM, and a comparable detection limit of 1.6 μM (3S/N) for nonenzymatic H2O2 detection. The archetype sensor also demonstrated eligible selectivity against common interfering species. By the introduction of the SiNW carrier, which led to mitigated conglomeration of the electrocatalyst and a favorable microstructure of the electrocatalyst-carrier system, improved signal-concentration linearity and higher electrocatalyst utilization efficiency were obtained with CuO-SiNWs. These results demonstrated the feasibility of the synthetic strategy and the potential of the nanocomposite as a promising candidate for H2O2 sensing.