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Metal oxide-based electrochemical sensors, despite their robust redox activity, lack sufficient conductivity to overcome their sluggish kinetics. Herein, we propose a unique self-assembled hybrid configuration based on redox-active Co3O4 hexagons (Co3O4-HX) and the highly conductive, few-layer-thick Ti3C2Tx sheets. The self-assembly approach enabled the compact interfacial formation and moderate intercalation of Ti3C2Tx sheets, allowing the Co3O4/Ti3C2Tx composite (Co3O4–MX) to exhibit a synergetic improvement in the charge-transfer rate and oxidation current response toward isoprenaline (ISPT), a neurotransmitter drug. The hybrid composite when devised as an electrochemical sensor gives rise to a 7.9-fold higher oxidation current response to 0.65 μM ISPT than its pristine Co3O4 counterpart. The improved charge kinetics and generation of a superior oxidation current emphasized the critical role of Ti3C2Tx as an interactive substrate in the Co3O4–MX hybrid. The analytical detection capability assessed via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) confirmed the sensor's high selectivity and marked stability both in low and high concentration ranges of ISPT ((0.01 to 0.33 μM) and 0.5 to 0.9 μM) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3 × 10–3 μM (for low concentrations). Importantly, the fabricated sensor could detect ISPT from harsh biological environments such as human urine samples with a recovery rate of 99%. Moreover, the sensor exhibited a stable working response during its prolonged storage of 30 days in an aqueous PBS system. The proposed route of using MXenes as a conductive substrate paves the way for developing a robust metal-oxide-based redox-active hybrid system for the sensitive detection of important therapeutic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXenes-Ti3C2Tx, based on their versatile surface characteristics, has rapidly advanced as an interactive substrate to develop electrochemical sensors for clinical applications. Herein, Ni embedded Ti3C2Tx (MX−Ni) composites were prepared using a self-assembly approach where Ti3C2Tx sheets served as an interactive conductive substrate as well as a protective layer to nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs), preventing their surface oxidation and aggregation. The composite displayed a cluster-like morphology with an intimate interfacial arrangement between Ni, Ti3C2Tx and Ti3C2Tx-derived TiO2. The configuration of MX−Ni into an electrochemical sensor realized a robust cathodic reduction current against methylmalonic acid (MMA), a biomarker to vitamin B12 deficiency. The synergism of Ni NPs strong redox characteristics with conductive Ti3C2Tx enabled sensitive signal output in wide detection ranges of 0.001 to 0.003 µM and 0.0035 to 0.017 µM and a detection sensitivity down to 0.12 pM of MMA. Importantly, the sensor demonstrated high signal reproducibility and excellent operational capabilities for MMA in a complex biological matrix such as human urine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the application of gold nanocages (Au NCs) for the development of enzyme free electrochemical glucose sensor. The described sensor system is based on the direct modification of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with Au NCs prepared using simple galvanic replacement reaction. The excellent sensitivity in this case was attributed to the high surface area (interior/exterior) and cavity confinement phenomena (cage effect) associated with Au NCs during the oxidation of glucose. The observed electro-catalytic cage confinement phenomena for Au NCs was elaborately studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) against solid gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) modified electrode. In addition to this, the developed sensor system was found highly resistive towards interfering species such as uric acid (UA), ascorbic (AS), dopamine (DP) and monosaccharide like fructose (FC) and maltose (ML). The electro-catalytic affinity of Au NCs for the oxidation of glucose enabled development of highly sensitivity (2131 μA cm −2 mM −1 ) and selective sensor with lower detection limit estimated to be 0.1 mM and linear working range of 1.0–9.0 mM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work reports a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for organophosphate pesticide (malathion) based on unique and attractive CuO nanostructures. The discussed nanostructures were synthesized using low temperature hydrothermal growth method utilizing green amino acids such as glycine, serine, threonine and histidine as effective bio-compatible templates. The morphological evaluation demonstrated formation of unique and attractive 1-D nanostructures reflecting the effective growth controlling and directing capabilities of the utilized amino acids. The as-synthesized CuO nanostructures were noted to possess high affinity towards malathion which enabled their application as electrode material for the development of affinity based electrochemical sensor. Although, the as-synthesized morphologies were all sensitive towards malathion but the glycine directed triangular flake-like nanostructures exhibited greater sensitivity compared to other competitors. The electrochemical behaviour of the modified electrodes was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) whereas, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was utilized for the analytical evaluation of the sensor. The developed sensor demonstrated high reproducibility, stability, wide detection window (1–12 nM), and sensitivity to detect malathion up to 0.1 nM based on suppressive signal measurement. In addition, the sensor system exhibited high anti-interference capability in the presence of common co-existing pesticides like lindane, carbendazim, and trichlorfon. The developed sensor provides an effective measure for detecting extremely low concentration of malathion with wide applicability in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study reports the synthesis of novel hedgehog-like NiO nanostructures via hydrothermal method using l -cysteine as a structure directing agent. The as-synthesized hedgehog-like NiO nanostructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques for morphological, compositional and structural studies respectively. The prepared NiO nanostructures were applied for the design and engineering of non-enzymatic glucose sensor in the alkaline medium. The electrode material for glucose sensing based on the hedgehog-like NiO nanostructures demonstrated extremely high electrochemical response with high sensitivity (1052.8 μA mM −1 cm −2 ), low detection limit (LOD) (1.2 μM), high selectivity, wide linear range (0.1–5.0 μM) ( R 2 = 0.9982) and the outstanding reproducibility. A plausible growth mechanism has been proposed to explain the formation process of the hedgehog-like NiO nanostructures. The excellent sensing performance can be attributed to the unique surface architectures, which enhanced the electron transfer rate and the molecular approach during the electrochemical sensing of glucose. Furthermore, the sensor showed excellent performance for the quantification of glucose in real blood sera reflecting universal nature of the presented glucose sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the hydrothermal synthesis of NiO, CuO and Co 3 O 4 nanostructures using acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as a growth-controlling/directing agent. The as-synthesised nanostructures were shown to possess unique structural features and distinct morphologies, portraying the efficiency of ASA as a suitable growth modifier. The formed metal oxide nanostructures, when used for electrode modification purposes, exhibited excellent electro-catalytic capabilities against the oxidation of nelbuphine hydrochloride (NAL) in aqueous buffer solution. The modified electrodes exhibited distinct electrochemical characteristics, with CuO-based electrodes exhibiting a superior signal sensitivity and lower over-potential value compared to the NiO and Co 3 O 4 nanostructures. The study further explores the variation in the observed electro-catalytic oxidation signal referenced to the distinct morphologies of the metal oxides nanostructures. The CuO-based electrode was selected for the sensitive quantification of NAL in aqueous solution over the linear range 0.001–2.25 μM. The electrode demonstrated excellent working linearity, with signal sensitivity achieved down to 1 × 10 − 4 μM. Moreover, the successful quantification of NAL in complex matrices, such as human urine and clinical waste water, further reflected the analytical capability of the proposed sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]