INVESTIGATION ON ELECTROCATALYTIC BEHAVIOUR OF SOL-GEL DERIVED CuO/PANI NANOCOMPOSITE

Abstract

In this project report, I tried to present results of the studies related to fabrication of a metal oxide based efficient non-enzymatic sensor using an interface based on sol-gel derived nanostructured copper oxide (CuO). A colloidal solution of prepared nanostructures has been electrophoretically deposited (EPD) onto an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass substrate. The structural and morphological studies of CuO nanostructures have been carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) (particle size 7-8 nm) , UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic techniques scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM). Polyaniline (a conducting polymer) was ultrasonically prepared and used as a matrix to prepare the nanocomposite. The CuO nanostructures were then ultrasonically dispersed in Polyaniline (PANI) solution, and then used to form CuO/PANI nanocomposite film by electrophoretic deposition method on the ITO plate. The CuO/PANI/ITO nanocomposite film was found to provide improved sensing characteristics to the electrode interface in terms of electroactive surface area, diffusion coefficient, charge transfer rate constant and electron transfer kinetics. This interfacial platform has been used for fabrication of a nonenzymatic sensor for H2O2 sensing. The results of response studies of the fabricated CuO/PANI/ITO electrode show a linear range of 2-22 mM, detection limit of 20.7 mM, and high sensitivity of 0.0317μMcm-2 with a response time of 20 s. The utilization of this CuO modified electrode for electo-oxidation of H2O2 offers an efficient strategy and a novel interface for application of tin oxide in the field of electrochemical sensors.