Electroless decoration of macroscale foam with nickel nano-spikes: A scalable route toward efficient catalyst electrodes

摘要

Electroless deposition of anisotropic catalyst layers is introduced as an efficient approach to fabricate high-performing multiscale electrode architectures. In the present study, a biomass-derived, solidified foam is coated with nickel nano-spikes. This results in an amplification of the surface area and an introduction of catalytic functionality, while the favorablemass transfer properties of the porous support are retained. Both the substrate and themetal film are produced using simple, readily scalable processes. The support is prepared fromliquefied saw-dust by self-foaming, and nickel deposition is performed by immersion in a hydrazine-based plating bath. The favorable functional properties of the nickel-coated foam are demonstrated in enzyme-free glucose sensing. Due to the large surface area and the high activity of the nickel nanofilm, an outstanding sensitivity of 8.1 mA mM(-1) cm(-2) and a low detection limit of 60 nM were achieved. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.