Developing non-enzymatic approach for ultrasensitive detection of dopamine using electrospun Co3O4/SiO2 nanofibers

Abstract

Several neurological illnesses, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and depression, involve abnormalities in the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA). Therefore, for the early diagnosis of diseases linked with aberrant phases, very sensitive detection technologies are needed. Here, a report is given on a new platform for the accurate electrochemical detection of DA using a cobalt oxide (Co3O4) and silica (SiO2) nanofiber-modified gold (Au) electrode. SiO2 and 10% Co3O4–90% SiO2 (Co3O4/SiO2) nanofibers were created by electrospinning. The structural and morphological characteristics of SiO2 and Co3O4/SiO2 were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), the electrochemical response of DA was analyzed in relevant biological electrolytes like phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.2. Co3O4/SiO2 being investigated as a highly effective electrode material for electrochemical detection of DA revealed that these electrode materials can achieve low overpotentials for DA oxidation. DA displayed the detection and sensitivity limits of 6.7 fM and 22.30 fM, respectively, throughout a linear response of 1 pM–1 mM, while Au modified with Co3O4/SiO2 nanofibers showed the most promising performance with good stability throughout a variety of scan rates (5–100 mV/s). The developed sensor's analytical performance has shown that it is capable of quantifying DA in aqueous media.