Metal–organic framework-derived yolk–shell hollow Ni/NiO@C microspheres for bifunctional non-enzymatic glucose and hydrogen peroxide biosensors

Reliable determination of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and glucose is vital in various fields, especially implicated in diagnosis of diabetes and oxidative stress-related diseases. Herein, yolk–shell hollow Ni/NiO@C microspheres were template-synthesized with well-defined Ni-MOF (metal–organic framework) and further worked as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for glucose oxidation in alkaline solution and H 2 O 2 reduction in neutral solution, of which the unique structure and rich pore openings provide large accessible surface areas, while the uniformly distributed Ni, NiO and C efficiently catalyze and facilitate the reaction of glucose and H 2 O 2 , thus achieving a wide linear range of 0.01 to 10 mM with a sensitivity of 1291 μA mM −1  cm −2 and a detection limit of 0.116 μM for glucose and offering a sensitivity of 32.09 μA mM −1  cm −2 , a detection limit of 0.9 μM and a linear range up to 80.7 mM for H 2 O 2 , as well as good selectivity, excellent reproducibility and long-term stability for two analytes. What’s more, the as-constructed sensors realize quantitative detection glucose in blood serum with satisfying results and can use to monitor H 2 O 2 in neutral situation. This work opens an avenue to design high-performance sensoring materials but also becomes a great candidate in practical application.