Electrochemical preparation of a three dimensional PEDOT–CuxO hybrid for enhanced oxidation and sensitive detection of hydrazine†
Abstract
In this study, a sensitive hydrazine sensor based on CuxO decorated three dimensional poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene) (3D-PEDOT) was developed. A 3D-PEDOT–CuxO hybrid was prepared through a facile electrochemical deposition and cyclic voltammetry treatment process. The hybrid material was characterized by scanning microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Raman, and electrochemical methods. It was found that 3D-PEDOT not only acts as a matrix to increase the loading amount of CuxO and enhances the conductivity, but also directly contributes to the catalytic oxidation of hydrazine. Owing to the synergistic interaction between 3D-PEDOT and CuxO, the 3D-PEDOT–CuxO hybrid displayed obviously enhanced catalysis for hydrazine oxidation with lower overpotential and stronger oxidation current compared to single component CuxO or 3D-PEDOT. The hydrazine sensor based on the 3D-PEDOT–CuxO hybrid exhibited a one order of magnitude wider linear range (0.5 μM to 53 mM), ten-fold lower detection limit (0.2 μM) and higher stability compared to those of the sensor based on CuxO. The proposed sensor was also used for the determination of hydrazine in real water samples with a satisfactory recovery.