In-situ synthesis of ultrafine Cu2O nanoparticles onto MnO2 nanosheets for efficient non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide

In the present work, ultrafine Cu2O nanoparticles decorated MnO2 nanocomposite (Cu2O@MnO2) was prepared by the in-situ growth method. The morphologies of nanomaterials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The poor electrical conductivity of MnO2 nanosheets and the severe aggregation of Cu2O nanoparticles could be sufficiently overcome through the formation of nanocomposite. The electrochemical results proved that the Cu2O@MnO2 nanocomposite exhibited a better electrocatalytic effect towards the reduction of H2O2 than pure MnO2 nanosheets and Cu2O nanoparticles due to the synergistic effect between these materials. Under the optimal condition, H2O2 could be detected in the range of 0.5–20 μM with a detection limit of 0.2 μM. The modified electrode exhibited satisfactory stability and reproducibility, and could be used to detect H2O2 in real sample. The results revealed that nanocomposites containing different metal oxides owned great potential application in designing high performance non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors.