Versatile Three-Dimensional Porous Cu@Cu₂ O Aerogel Networks as Electrocatalysts and Mimicking Peroxidases

A facile strategy is presented to form 3D porous Cu@Cu₂ O aerogel networks by self-assembling Cu@Cu₂ O nanoparticles with the diameters of ca. 40 nm for constructing catalytic interfaces. Unexpectedly, the prepared Cu@Cu₂ O aerogel networks display excellent electrocatalytic activity to glucose oxidation at a low onset potential of ca. 0.25 V. Moreover, the Cu@Cu₂ O aerogels also can act as mimicking-enzymes including horseradish peroxidase and NADH peroxidase, and show obvious enzymatic catalytic activities to the oxidation of dopamine (DA), o-phenyldiamine (OPD), 3,3,5,5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), and dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in the presence of H₂ O₂ . These 3D Cu@Cu₂ O aerogel networks are a new class of porous catalytic materials as mimic peroxidases and electrocatalysts and offer a novel platform to construct catalytic interfaces for promising applications in electrochemical sensors and artificial enzymatic catalytic systems.