Copper-based electrodes fabricated by GHz-burst femtosecond laser sintering of copper powders for non-enzymatic D-glucose detection

Abstract High-performance porous copper (Cu)-based electrochemical sensors could potentially be achieved using GHz-burst femtosecond laser sintering, which allows enhanced control over the oxidation state and surface area. In this study, porous Cu-based electrodes were fabricated by GHz-burst femtosecond laser sintering and their electrochemical performances were evaluated in the non-enzymatic detection of D-glucose. Electrodes were produced under different intra-pulse numbers ( N int = 1, 2, 5, and 10), allowing control over both the extent of oxidation and the phase composition. At higher intra-pulse numbers, oxidation was effectively suppressed because of the reduced pulse intensity, whereas lower intra-pulse numbers promoted copper(I) oxide (Cu 2 O) formation through excessive heating. Electrochemical studies revealed that the Cu 2 O-containing electrode fabricated in the non-burst mode ( N int = 1) exhibited superior catalytic activity, demonstrating enhanced sensitivity toward D-glucose compared with that achieved using Cu-rich electrodes. These results confirm that GHz-burst femtosecond laser sintering provides precise control over the Cu phases and porosity, offering a promising strategy for developing efficient non-enzymatic glucose sensors.