Co3O4/carbon hollow nanospheres for resistive monitoring of gaseous hydrogen sulfide and for nonenzymatic amperometric sensing of dissolved hydrogen peroxide.

Co3O4/carbon hybrid hollow nanospheres (hs-Co3O4/C) with an empty cavity and a thin shell, were synthesized starting from the pectin and cobalt acetate via cross-linking deposition at room temperature and post-calcination. The hierarchical structure is constructed from the interconnected nanoparticles in the residual carbon matrix, and the carbon content can be adjusted by changing the calcination temperature. The gas sensor based on hs-Co3O4/C calcined at 300 °C in air shows high response towards 50 ppm of H2S (S = 95.5) and good selectivity at a low working temperature (92 °C). The detection limit is as low as 0.1 ppm. The non-enzymatic glassy carbon electrode based sensor constructed from the same material exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity for H2O2 with the sensitivity of 405.8 μA∙mM∙cm-2 at 0.3 V (vs. SCE) in alkaline solution. The chronoamperometric response time is < 3 s and the detection limit (at S/N = 3) is 0.30 μM. The good sensing performances are attributed to the synergetic effect of unique hollow nanostructure and appropriate amount of carbon in the hybrid material. The porous nanostructure can increase the mass transfer efficiency, and the cross-linked nanoparticles with good crystallinity also improve the conductivity of materials. The presence of carbon enhances the charge transfer ability and increases the specific surface, thereby improving the sensor performance. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the formation of hollow Co3O4 nanospheres composited with pectin-derived carbon. The material displays excellent selectivity for H2S gas and in non-enzymatic detection of dissolved H2O2.