Revealing the impact of surface composition of electrodeposited Сu and Ni nanoparticles on the specific electrooxidation of uric acid

Abstract

The electrodeposition of transition metal nanoparticles (NPs) enables the formation of structures with complex surface chemistry and enhanced catalytic properties. However, their electrocatalytic behavior can differ signif icantly from that of NPs synthesized by other methods, due to the formation of defect oxides, hydroxides, and distinct interactions with molecular oxygen. This study investigates the role of uric acid (UA) polarizability during complexation with catalytic centers of electrodeposited copper (Cu-NPs) and nickel (Ni-NPs) nano particles both containing surface defect oxides and the influence of molecular oxygen on UA detection under alkaline conditions. The results show that although Cu-NPs exhibit higher sensitivity toward UA, this is accompanied by reduced specificity due to side interactions with oxygen. In contrast, Ni-NPs enhance UA polarizability without engaging in oxygen interactions, leading to more specific UA electrooxidation. These findings offer insight into the design of electrodeposited electrocatalysts with tailored specificity for UA detection.