Functionalized carbon fiber cloth for the disposable sensor in robust nonenzymatic glucose detection

High-performance, inexpensive, and convenient disposable sensors are vital to the modern detecting, verifying, and monitoring technology. Herein, carbon fiber cloth (CFC) was used to design and build a disposable three-electrode sensor. With zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) electro-deposition and plasma activation, a novel working electrode of ZIFs-derived cobalt oxide embedded nano-aciculae decorated carbon fiber cloth (ZC-NA/CFC) was developed. ZC-NA/CFC electrode displayed hierarchical structure, enhanced catalytic active sites, excellent electrochemical behavior, and superb electrocatalysis towards the direct oxidation of glucose (Glu). Steady-state current could be established within 1 s. Efficient Glu detection could be achieved with a broad linear range (0.002-16 mM) and a low limit of detection (0.32 μM). ZC-NA/CFC also exhibited favorable selectivity, reliability, stability, and could afford various deformation sensing tests. Significantly, a CFC-based ZC-NA/CF three-electrode patch was successfully developed for the Glu measurement in human serum with accurate and reliable results. The ZIFs electro-deposition and plasma activation could be a versatile method to prepare unique nanostructures for notable sensors, and the ZC-NA/CF three-electrode patch could be a raw model for the facile, low-cost, and prominent disposable sensors.