DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v27i3.340

Keywords: Copper nanowires; glucose reduction; drop casting; Chronocoulometry; electrochemical sensor

Abstract

The exceptional properties of copper nanowires (CuNWs) including high electrical conductivity, strong optoelectronic performance, and excellent mechanical strength make them highly valuable for diverse applications across various fields. Herein we report the synthesis of CuNWs using surfactant assisted glucose reduction method. The concentration of surfactant hexadecylamine (HDA) and glucose concentrations were optimized to obtain nanowire morphology. The as prepared CuNWs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and FT-IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). UV-vis and SEM studies confirmed the variation of aspect ratio of the CuNWs with respect to the concentration of HDA. Further, copper nanowires (CuNWs) were deposited onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using the drop-casting technique to investigate their electrocatalytic activity. The modified electrode was characterized through cyclic voltammetry. The active electrochemical surface area of the CuNWs-modified electrode was determined using the Anson equation and was calculated to be 0.031 cm². Furthermore, the electrochemical oxidation of paracetamol (PA) was investigated using both bare and CuNWs-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) at pH 7.2. The CuNWs-modified GCE exhibited a fourfold enhancement in the oxidation current of PA compared to the bare GCE, indicating significantly improved electrocatalytic activity. Selective detection of PA was successfully achieved even in the presence of a 100-fold excess concentration of ascorbic acid (AA), demonstrating excellent selectivity. Additionally, the sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) for PA at the CuNWs-modified GCE were assessed using amperometric measurements. The modified electrode was capable of detecting PA concentrations as low as 30 nM at pH 7.2.