Millepora sp. fossil-like nickel-cobalt microsphere and its neurotransmitter electrochemical activity.

The species and morphology of the modified electrode material have an essential influence on its properties. Inspired by the morphology of the dendritic fossils, we obtained a porphyritic cobalt-nickel precursor material by a green preparation method without a template. Further studies showed that the precursor material was a composite of Ni&Co carbonates and hydroxides (NiCo 2 CO 3 (OH) 2), and the possible chemical component was M(CO 3) m ·[M(OH) n x ·yH 2 O (M = Co, Ni, m, n, x, y = 0～5). Moreover, this material exhibited electrochemical activity against ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA), enabling simultaneous detection of the three, with low detection limit, fast response and no interference between each other. It is foreseeable that such carbonate and hydroxide-rich precursor materials are also an essential source of modified electrode materials. Image 1 • Inspired by the morphology of the microporous fossil, a porous cobalt-nickel precursor material by a template-free method was prepared and analyzed. • The precursor is chemically rich in hydroxyl and carbonate functional groups, and the possible chemical formula is M(CO3)m·[M(OH)n]x·yH2O (M = Co, Ni, m, n, x, y = 0～5). • The precursors have good electrochemical activity for the neurotransmitter molecules UA, DA, and AA, and can simultaneously detect the three. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]