2D-network of boron-functionalized N-doped graphene quantum dots for electrochemical sensing of dopamine

Abstract

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by boron-functionalized N-doped graphene quantum dots (B-GQDs) was employed for the electrochemical determination of dopamine (DA), a neurotransmitter. The B-GQDs were obtained by hydrothermal etching of GO with H2O2 and NH3 in the presence of H3BO3. By using various techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, molecular absorption spectrometry, fluorescence, ICP-MS, and zeta potential analysis, it was demonstrated that B-GQDs are self-organized in 2D-network, being N-doped GQDs nanoparticles crosslinked by H3BO3. The GCE modification was carried out using the drop-casting method with B-GQDs in Nafion®, previously dispersed through ultrasonication. For the first time, the synthesized nanomaterial was tested in the electroanalysis of neurotransmitters. The B-GQDs/Nafion®/GCE modification led to a significant increase in peak currents in the presence of DA. The electrochemical and interfacial characteristics of the sensors were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). Under optimized square wave voltammetry and supporting electrolyte conditions, a linear dependence between the anodic peak current and DA concentration was observed in the range of 0.7 to 188 μmol L−1 (R2 = 0.9991). The limit of detection (LOD) was estimated at 0.05 μmol L−1. Selectivity was confirmed in the presence of potential interferents found in urine, with interference response below 12 %. The sensor exhibited excellent intra-day and inter-day repeatability, with a relative standard deviation of 4.12 % and 4.66 %, respectively. Electrochemical determination of DA was conducted in artificial urine samples (Surine®), with recovery values of 90–101 %. The new analytical platform B-GQDs/Nafion®/GCE demonstrated promising characteristics for application in biological and/or pharmaceutical analysis.