Rapid room-temperature synthesis of nano-HKUST-1@graphene for ultra-sensitive non-enzymatic glucose sensing

Regulating the morphology of composite materials and simplifying their preparation processes are critical for enhancing material performance and broadening application prospects, especially for metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanocomposites. Conventional synthesis methods for MOF/graphene composites (e.g., solvothermal methods) often suffer from high energy consumption (high temperature), long reaction times (up to 24 h), and large MOF particle sizes (micrometer scale), which limit active site exposure, electron transfer efficiency, and practical applicability. Herein, we report a low-energy, efficient strategy to fabricate nanosized HKUST-1 decorated graphene nanosheet (nano-HKUST-1@GS) composites via in situ growth, which requires only 15 min at room temperature. This strategy yields uniformly distributed nano-HKUST-1 particles (∼46 nm) with intimate interfacial contact with GS. Benefiting from the synergistic interplay between nanosized HKUST-1 (abundant exposed active sites) and conductive GS (accelerated electron transfer), the nano-HKUST-1@GS composite exhibits superior electrochemical performance compared to individual components or their physical mixtures. When applied as an electrocatalyst for glucose oxidation, the constructed non-enzymatic sensor achieves a high sensitivity of 2065 μA mM −1  cm −2 , a wide linear range (0.5–2607 μM), and an ultralow detection limit of 0.11 μM (S/N = 3), outperforming most reported counterparts. Furthermore, this sensor successfully quantifies glucose in human serum samples, validating its practical utility. This work not only provides a low-energy, efficient approach for constructing nanosized MOF/graphene heterostructures but also develops a sensitive, reliable enzyme-free glucose detection platform, holding promise for advancing MOF-based composite synthesis and clinical diagnostics.