Synthesis and Characteristics of Cu/N-Codoped Ti3C2T x MXene Using Copper-Aniline Solid Complex and Application to Simultaneous Electrochemical Sensing of Adenine and Guanine in Artificial Sweat

Abstract

This work evaluates the electrochemical performance of copper and nitrogen codoped Ti3C2T x MXene (or Cu@N − Ti3C2T x ) for purine sensing. Aniline/cupric ion solid complex was synthesized by reaction of aniline with CuCl2 (Cu(aniline)2Cl2). Subsequently, the obtained CuCl2-aniline coordination complex was mixed with Ti3C2T x MXene and carbonized in an autoclave. Subsequently, a new electrochemical sensor was designed based on a hybrid of Cu/N-codoped Ti3C2T x MXene on a glassy carbon electrode modified to be a Cu@N − Ti3C2T x electrode. The nanomaterials were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The analytes were determined using differential pulse voltammetry. The detection limits were 0.01 for adenine and 0.02 μM for guanine, while the linear response ranges of both analytes were from 0.1 to 10 μM. This sensing device has been further employed in the individual and simultaneous detection of adenine and guanine in artificial sweat with 98–102% recoveries.