Quasi-aligned nanorod arrays composed of Nickel–Cobalt nanoparticles anchored on TiO2/C nanofiber arrays as free standing electrode for enzymeless glucose sensors

Nickel-based enzymeless glucose sensors have been extensively explored. However, poor conductivity and severe aggregation of nickel-base nanocomposites often reduce the performance of its practical applications. Herein, free-standing TiO 2 /C core-shell nanofiber arrays (TiO 2 /C NFAs) were fabricated directly on a titanium foil to serve as the one-dimensional (1D) conductive substrate. Nickel-cobalt binary nanoparticles were then deposited on the nanofibers to form the NiCo/TiO 2 /C NFAs for enzymeless glucose sensing. The NiCo/TiO 2 /C NFAs exhibit much improved sensitivity and excellent stability towards glucose determination, with a wide linear range from 1 μM to 7658 μM, and a high sensitivity of 975.3 μA mM −1  cm −2 . The detection limit is calculated to be 0.6 μM (S/N = 3). The NiCo/TiO 2 /C NFAs also show excellent selectivity with minimal interference from the coexistent species. The superior analytical performance should be attributed to the large specific surface area of the 1D nanostructure , direct electron transfer pathway via the free standing TiO 2 /C NFAs, and high activity of the binary Ni–Co electrocatalyst .