Nonenzymatic flexible field-effect transistor based glucose sensor fabricated using NiO quantum dots modified ZnO nanorods

[Display omitted] •A non-enzymatic flexible FET based glucose biosensor was fabricated.•Grown ZnO NRs between source-drain were modified with NiO QDs by sputtering.•An enhanced electrocatalytic features were recorded for glucose detection.•The proposed sensor showed wide-linear range, high sensitivity and a low detection limit.•Successfully used for human whole blood sample and serum sample analysis. Herein, we fabricated nonenzymatic flexible field-effect transistor (f-FET) based glucose sensor using nickel oxide quantum dots (NiO QDs) modified zinc oxide nanorods (ZnO NRs). The ZnO NRs surfaces were coated with NiO QDs using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering to enhance the electrocatalytic feature and the surface area of ZnO NRs. Under physiological conditions (pH 7.4), the nonenzymatic f-FET glucose sensor shows two linear ranges of 0.001–10mM and 10–50mM with the high sensitivity of 13.14μAcm−2mM−1 and 7.31μAcm−2mM−1, respectively, along with good selectivity, stability and repeatability during glucose detection. The examination of human whole blood and serum samples reveal that the nonenzymatic f-FET based glucose sensor is capable of measuring glucose concentration efficiently in the presence of interfering species and thus can be offered as a promising device for further applications in clinical and non-clinical fields.