A novel, graphene-supported, and hollow Pt-Ni nanostructure (denoted as hollow Pt-Ni-graphene nanocatalyst) was synthesized using a galvanic replacement approach at ambient temperature. The prepared nanostructures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrocatalytic characteristics of the nanostructures pertaining to the oxidation of glucose were evaluated by voltammetry. The results demonstrated that the hollow Pt-Ni-graphene nanocatalysts demonstrate superior electrocatalytic performance in comparison with the solid Pt-Ni-graphene electrocatalysts. A nonenzymatic amperometric glucose sensor was developed using the hollow Pt-Ni-graphene nanostructure as the electrode material. The sensor exhibited good electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of glucose and had a rapid response (ca. 2 s), low detection limit (ca. 2 mu M), wide linear range (0.5-20 mM), and high sensitivity (ca. 30.3 mu A mM(-1) cm(-2)), as well as good stability and repeatability. Additionally, the common interfering species, such as ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) did not cause any interference due to the use of a low detection potential (-0.35 V vs. SCE). Furthermore, the sensor was successfully applied to the determination of glucose concentration in human serum samples. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.