Development of Nano Copper Sulfide (CuS) Structures for Electrochemical Detection of Vitamin C

Copper Sulfide (CuS) has received significant interest due to its attractive physical and chemical properties. In this study, the development and characterization of nano CuS (a p-type semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.2~2 eV) for the detection of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is reported. Nano CuS was synthesized hydrothermally by studying the effects of cationic and anionic surfactants (CTAB and SDS). The as-synthesized nanostructures were characterized for surface morphology, chemical composition, and crystal structure. The developed CuS nanoparticles were then drop-cast on a graphite electrode and subjected to the electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid. Further, the deposition time of the analyte and the deposition potential of the electrode was evaluated. It was observed that the time required for ascorbic acid to deposit on the electrode was 20 seconds and deposition potential was found to be 0.34V. Besides, the effect of analyte concentration on the sensing ability of the nanomaterial was studied and a linear relationship between the two was observed. The working pH was found to be 9.4.