Synthesis and characterization of layered Nb2C MXene/ZnS nanocomposites for highly selective electrochemical sensing of dopamine

MXenes, due to their exceptional properties, are tagged as materials of future in the field of two dimensional (2D) materials. Niobium carbide (Nb2C) is an important member of MXene family having vast application in the field of lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors. However, its applications in the field of sensing have not been explored yet. This research work reports the synthesis and application of Nb2C/ZnS nanocomposite for the sensing of dopamine (DA) for the first time. The etching of Nb2C from parent MAX phase (Nb2AlC) was performed at 55 degrees C. The application of Nb2C electrode for the electrochemical sensing of DA was employed through differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanoparticles were synthesized hydrothermally to enhance the electrochemical properties of Nb2C. The characterization of these prepared samples was done with the help XRD, SEM, EDS, and of FTIR spectroscopy. The MXene-ZnS nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) proved to be a very effective electrode material to detect dopamine electrochemically with a wide linear detection range of 0.09-0.82 mM, a very low detection limit of 1.39 mu M and excellent sensitivity of 12.1 mu A mu M-1. The modified glassy carbon electrode also proved to be exceptionally selective towards dopamine in the presence of interfering agents like ascorbic acid, citric acid and glucose.

Automated summary

MXene material Nb2C is widely applied in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors, but its application in the sensing field has not been explored. This study reports the synthesis and application of Nb2C/ZnS nanocomposite for dopamine sensing for the first time, showing a wide linear detection range, very low detection limit, and excellent sensitivity.