Flexible and highly sensitive methadone sensor based on gold nanoparticles/polythiophene modified carbon cloth platform

Abstract

Since abuse of methadone (MET) has boosted many medical and judicial demands, designing a simple sensor for trace quantification of MET is essential in human health and medical research. In this study, by emphasizing the utilization of green materials under a quick process, a flexible sensor has been developed based on carbon cloth (CC) electrodeposited with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and polythiophene (p(Thp)) thin film. The porous interface displayed some significant advantages, such as a large surface area and high electron transfer in the MET oxidation. The sensor sensitively detected MET under two wide linear ranges from 49 nM to 9.9 μM and 9.9 μM to 0.029 mM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 14 nM (S/N = 3). The excellent applicability of the proposed sensor in the selective detection of MET in the human blood serum and urine samples may promise the feasibility of the applied strategy in the routine analysis of the MET. The access to a fast and simple sensing method based on the embedded flexible platform may be efficient in designing wearable electronic biodevices for other applications.