Bimetal−organic framework-integrated electrochemical sensor for on-chip detection of H2S and H2O2 in cancer tissues

Abstract

Studies on the interaction between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in redox signaling motivate the development of a sensitive sensing platform for their discriminatory and dynamic detection. Herein, we present a fully integrated microfluidic on-chip electrochemical sensor for the online and simultaneous monitoring of H2S and H2O2 secreted by different biological samples. The sensor utilizes a cicada-wing-like RuCu bimetal−organic framework with uniform nanorods architecture that grows on a flexible carbon fiber microelectrode. Owing to the optimized electronic structural merits and satisfactory electrocatalytic properties, the resultant microelectrode shows remarkable electrochemical sensing performance for sensitive and selective detection of H2S and H2O2 at the same time. The result exhibits low detection limits of 0.5 μM for H2S and 0.1 μM for H2O2, with high sensitivities of 61.93 μA cm−2 mM−1 for H2S, and 75.96 μA cm−2 mM−1 for H2O2. The integration of this biocompatible microelectrode into a custom wireless microfluidic chip enables the construction of a miniature intelligent system for in situ monitoring of H2S and H2O2 released from different living cells to differentiate between cancerous and normal cells. When applied for real-time tracking of H2S and H2O2 secreted by colorectal cancer tissues, it allows the evaluation of their chemotherapeutic efficacy. These findings hold paramount implications for disease diagnosis and therapy.