MOF-Derived Porous Ni₂P/Graphene Composites with Enhanced Electrochemical Properties for Sensitive Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensing

Abstract

Herein, we report a high-performance electrocatalyst by orientationally growing Ni₂P nanoparticles in situ on graphene film (Ni₂P/G) for nonenzymatic glucose sensors in alkaline media. The combination of highly active Ni₂P and stable graphene film with rapid conductivity enables this composite to display excellent electrochemical activity toward glucose with enhanced electron transfer rate and steadiness. With Ni-MOF-74 as a precursor, Ni₂P/G showed even metal distribution, massive exposure of active sites, and spatially ordered structure. Benefiting from the synergistic reaction of Ni₂P particles and graphene, this metal-organic frameworks (MOF)-derived composite exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and specificity toward glucose electrooxidation. Under optimized conditions, a wide linear response was obtained from 5 μM to 1.4 mM with a detection limit of 0.44 μM. Furthermore, an excellent linear response ( R² = 0.9897) was also obtained by a Ni₂P/G modified electrode in human serum with the concentration of glucose ranging from 1 to 8 mM, indicating that the Ni₂P/G platform could be utilized for glucose monitoring in practical life.