A Self-Supported CuO/Cu Nanowire Electrode as Highly Efficient Sensor for COD Measurement

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a critical water quality parameter.
• Traditional COD measurement methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
• Development of rapid and sensitive electrochemical methods for COD determination is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a self-supported CuO/Cu nanowire electrode (CuO/CuNWE) for electrochemical COD determination.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties and performance of the CuO/CuNWE.
• To evaluate the potential of the developed electrode for practical water quality monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CuO/CuNWE via annealing and anodization of Cu nanowires.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Electrochemical analysis using cyclic voltammetry (CV) for COD measurement.

Main Results:

• The CuO/CuNWE exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity for oxidizing organic compounds.
• The electrode demonstrated a wide linear range (5-1153 mg L⁻¹) and low detection limit (2.3 mg L⁻¹) for COD.
• Excellent correlation (r=0.9995) was found between the proposed method and the dichromate method.
• Successful application in real water samples confirmed its practical viability.

Conclusions:

• The CuO/CuNWE is a stable and efficient electrode material for electrochemical COD sensing.
• The developed method provides a sensitive, rapid, and reliable alternative to traditional COD analysis.
• This technology holds significant promise for effective water pollution control and monitoring.