Nanohybrid of antimonene@Ti3C2Tx-based electrochemical aptasensor for lead detection

Lead ions (Pb2+), as one of many common heavy metallic environmental pollutants, can cause serious side-effects and result in chronic poisoning to people's health, so it is highly significant to monitor Pb2+ efficiently and sensitively. Here, we proposed an antimonene@Ti3C2Tx nanohybrid-based electrochemical aptamer sensor (aptasensor) for high sensitive Pb2+ determination. The sensing platform of nanohybrid was synthesized by ultrasonication, possessing the advantages of both antimonene and Ti3C2Tx, which not only can vastly enlarge the sensing signal of the proposed aptasensor, but also greatly simplified its manufacturing flow, because antimonene can strongly interact with aptamer through noncovalently bound. The surface morphology and microarchitecture of the nanohybrid were perused by several methods such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray mapping spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscope (AFM). Under optimal empirical conditions, the proposed aptasensor exhibited a wide linear correlation of the current signals with the logarithm of CPb 2+ (Log CPb2+) over the span from 1 x 10-12 to 1 x 10-7 M and provided a trace discernment limit of 3.3 x 10-13 M. Moreover, the constructed aptasensor displayed superior repeatability, great consistency, eminent selectivity, and beneficial reproducibility, implying its extreme potential application for water quality control and the environmental monitoring of Pb2+.

Automated summary

In this study, an electrochemical aptamer sensor based on an antimonene@Ti3C2Tx nanohybrid was proposed for the sensitive determination of Pb2+. The nanohybrid, synthesized by ultrasonication, combined the advantages of both antimonene and Ti3C2Tx, leading to an enhanced sensing signal and simplified manufacturing flow. The surface morphology and microarchitecture of the nanohybrid were characterized using various techniques. The aptasensor exhibited a wide linear correlation with Log CPb2+ and a trace detection limit of 3.3 x 10-13 M. Additionally, the aptasensor showed excellent repeatability, consistency, selectivity, and reproducibility, suggesting its potential application in water quality control and environmental monitoring of Pb2+.