Ultrathin NiS/Ni(OH)2 Nanosheets Filled within Ammonium Polyacrylate-Functionalized Polypyrrole Nanotubes as an Unique Nanoconfined System for Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensors.

Ultrathin two-dimensional NiS/Ni(OH)2 nanosheets (NiS/Ni(OH)2 NSs) were successfully filled within the hollow interiors of ammonium polyacrylate-functionalized polypyrrole nanotubes (NH4PA/PPyNTs) by a simple solvothermal method. This kind of novel hierarchical nanostructures with typical structural features of a nanoconfined system, denoted by NiS/Ni(OH)2/NH4PA/PPyNTs, were prepared by two main sections: polyacrylic acid (PAA) was first polymerized on PPyNTs containing vinyl groups, and the obtained PAA/PPyNTs exhibited a typical Janus structure, whose external surface was covered with carboxyl groups and the internal surface was still covered with PPy chains; second, Ni2+ ions as a precursor were facilely combined with -NH- segments in PPy chains by the coordination interaction under the solvothermal environment; therefore, NiS/Ni(OH)2 NSs (<1 nm) were well distributed on the internal surface of NH4PA/PPyNTs by the in situ growth. Because of the synergistic effects of ionizable NH4PA, PPy with good conductivity, NiS and Ni(OH)2 with electrocatalytical activity, as well as the nanoconfinement effect, the obtained NiS/Ni(OH)2@NH4PA/PPyNTs exhibited excellent electrocatalytic performance for detecting glucose. Sufficiently thin shells composed of ionizable NH4PA and good conductive PPyNTs can not only promote the electronic transmission effectively during the electrochemical detection of glucose but also hardly limit the transport of glucose and products. In addition, ultrathin NiS/Ni(OH)2 NSs may further enhance the electrocatalytic performance for glucose because of the more exposed active sites with the large surface area. Therefore, NiS/Ni(OH)2@NH4PA/PPyNTs can be applied as a good electrode material with stability and sensitivity for building a nonenzymatic glucose sensor.

Poly(ionic liquid) functionalized polypyrrole nanotubes supported gold nanoparticles: An efficient electrochemical sensor to detect epinephrine.

Poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) have been applied as the linkers between Au nanoparticles (NPs) and polypyrrole nanotubes (PPyNTs) for the synthesis of Au/PILs/PPyNTs hybrids. Due to the presence of PILs, high-density and well-dispersed Au NPs have been deposited on the surface of PILs/PPyNTs by anion-exchange with Au precursor and the in-situ reduction of metal ions. The obtained Au/PILs/PPyNTs hybrids can be used as a good steady electrode material for sensitively and selectively detecting epinephrine (EP). The catalytic oxidation peak currents obtained from differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) increased linearly with increasing EP concentrations in the range of 35-960µM with a detection limit of 298.9nM according to the criterion of a signal-to-noise ratio=3 (S/N=3), respectively, which showed the excellent electrocatalytic activity towards this significant hormone in human life.