Controllable one step copper coating on carbon nanofibers for flexible cholesterol biosensor substrates

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are versatile materials for various applications.
• Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles possess unique electrochemical properties.
• Biosensors require stable and conductive matrices for enhanced performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize CuO-decorated CNFs for biosensing.
• To evaluate the electrochemical properties of the synthesized material.
• To develop a novel cholesterol biosensor using CuO-coated CNFs.

Main Methods:

• One-step synthesis of CuO-decorated CNFs via hydroxyl ion assisted alcohol reduction.
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm CuO crystal structure.
• Fabrication and electrochemical testing of a cholesterol biosensor.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of monoclinic CuO nanoparticles on CNFs.
• Achieved high electrical conductivity (251 S m⁻¹) for CuO-coated CNFs after annealing.
• Developed a cholesterol biosensor with high sensitivity (75 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) in the linear range of 0.12–12.93 mM.

Conclusions:

• The developed CuO-coated CNFs provide a flexible, robust, and conductive matrix for biosensing.
• The facile synthesis method is cost-effective for practical applications.
• This novel biosensor demonstrates significant potential for cholesterol detection.