Cobalt Oxide Nanoflowers for Electrochemical Determination of Glucose

This study reports a simple, economic, and efficient approach for synthesis of cobalt oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanostructures by a low-temperature aqueous chemical growth method. The synthesized Co 3 O 4 nanostructures were characterized by various techniques such as x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The synthesized nanostructures exhibited flower-shaped morphology with thickness of each pellet in the range of 200 to 300 nm. The synthesized Co 3 O 4 nanostructures with excellent structural features exhibited high electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose in alkaline solution. This enabled development of a highly sensitive (1618.71 µ A mM −1 cm −2 ), stable and reproducible non-enzymatic glucose sensor. The developed sensor demonstrated high anti-interference capability against common interferents such as dopamine, ascorbic acid and uric acid. Furthermore, the applicability of the developed sensor for the determination of glucose from human blood serum provides an alternative approach for the routine glucose analysis.