Nanorod-constructed porous Co₃O₄ nanowires: highly sensitive sensors for the detection of hydrazine

Abstract

A highly sensitive, reliable and reproducible sensor for the detection of hydrazine was fabricated using a porous Co3O4 nanowire (NW) electrode. Porous Co3O4 NWs constructed from interconnected nanorod units with a three-dimensional porous network were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process. The hydrazine sensor based on the Co3O4 NW electrode demonstrated a relatively high sensitivity (28.63 μA mM(-1)) and a rather low detection limit (0.5 μM) due to the fast electro-oxidation of hydrazine catalyzed by Co3O4 NWs. The unique porous structure of Co3O4 NWs offers a promising probe candidate for efficient electrochemical sensors of hydrazine.