Cobalt encapsulated in bamboo-like N-doped carbon nanotubes for highly sensitive electroanalysis of Pb(II): enhancement based on adsorption and catalysis.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are recognized as desirable candidates to fabricate electrochemical sensing interfaces owing to their high surface area and excellent electron conductivity. However, the poor catalytic properties of CNTs significantly hinder their further application in electrochemical detection. Herein, for the first time we combined defective CNTs with catalytically active cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) to give cobalt encapsulated in a bamboo-like N-doped carbon nanotube nanocomposite (Co/N-CNTs).