Title Page
ABSTRACT
Contents
I. Introduction 10
1. Tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) 10
2. Conducting polymers 12
3. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) 12
4. Graphene 13
5. Metal nanowires 14
6. Silver nanowires 14
II. Experimental 15
1. Materials 15
2. Synthesis of silver nanowires 15
3. Fabrication of Ni@AgNWs flexible conductive electrodes 16
4. Preparation of non-enzymatic glucose biosensors 16
5. Characterization 17
III. Results and discussions 18
IV. Conclusion 33
Reference 34
Table 1. The electroctalytic performance of enzyme free electrochemical glucose sensor based on Ni nanomaterials. 31
Figure 1. (a) XRD patterns of AgNWs and Ni@AgNWs electrode, and (b) XRD pattern fitting analysis of Ni@AgNWs electrode. 18
Figure 2. XPS spectra of (a) Ni@AgNW networks, (b) Ag 3d, (c) Ni 2p, and (d) O 1s. 19
Figure 3. FESEM images of the AgNW networks. 20
Figure 4. Plot of (a) specular transmittance versus sheet resistance of AgNWs, and (b) sheet resistance and transmittance as a function of electrochemical deposition time. 21
Figure 5. FESEM images of the Ni@AgNW networks. 21
Figure 6. (a) TEM image and (b) TEM elemental mapping layered image of Ni@AgNW; TEM elemental mapping of (c) Ag, (d) Ni, (e) O, and (d) line scanning... 22
Figure 7. Relative resistance variation in the AgNWs and Ni@AgNWs as a function of (a) time in ambient temperature, (b) bending cycles (the inset is photos of bending... 23
Figure 8. (a) CV curves of the Ni@AgNWs/PET in 0.1 M NaOH at different scan rates, and (b) plots of anode peak and cathode peak currents versus square root of... 24
Figure 9. (a) CV curves of the Ni@AgNWs/PET in 0.5mM Glucose solution at different scan rates, and (b) plot of anode peak and cathode peak currents versus... 25
Figure 10. (a) CV curves of the Ni@AgNWs/PET with different glucose concentrations ranging from 0 to 5 mM in 0.1 M NaOH solution at 10 mV/s, and (b)... 26
Figure 11. (a) CV curves at 10 mV/s, (b) CV curves during 50 cycles, and (c) amperometric response of Ni@AgNWs/PET electrode in mixed solution contained... 27
Figure 12. (a) The CV curves of Ni@AgNWs electrode at various bending conditions (inset the digital images of electrode at various bending conditions), and... 28
Figure 13. Current responses of 5 separate samples in (a) 0.1 M NaOH, (b) 0.1 M NaOH + 0.5 mM glucose, and (c) current responses of one sample after varied days... 29
Figure 14. (a) SEM image, and (b) XRD pattern of the Ni@AgNWs electrode after electrocatalytic oxidation in 0.1 M NaOH with 0.5 mM glucose. 32
Scheme 1. Synthesis process of AgNWs via the hydrothermal method. 15