Conjugated polymer nanoparticle-MXene hybrid framework for sensitive electrochemical detection of serotonin

Abstract

A sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) detection was developed by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a composite film of conjugated polymer nanoparticles, namely poly(benzenediamine-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzodithiophene) (p(BDBT) NPs), and Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets. The composite film was fabricated via drop-casting and characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The fabricated sensor showed a linear response to 5-HT over the concentration range of 0.10-15.0 mu M, with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.096 mu M. The sensor demonstrated good selectivity for 5-HT in the presence of common interfering species and satisfactory recovery in spiked serum samples. Overall, the p(BDBT) NPs/MXene composite provides an effective platform for rapid and selective electrochemical determination of 5-HT.