Electrochemical enzymeless detection of superoxide employing naringin-copper decorated electrodes

Flavonoid-metal ion complexes are a new class of molecules that have generated considerable interest due to their superior anti-oxidant and pharmacological activities. The metal ion present in these complexes can participate in redox reactions by toggling between different oxidation states. This property can be invaluable for sensing applications. But, the use of flavonoid-metal ion complexes as sensors remains an unexplored facet. The present work attempts to develop a non-enzymatic superoxide sensor using naringin-copper complex. Detection of superoxide has been mainly based on enzymes and cytochromes. However, these sensors are limited by their poor structural stability and high cost. The naringin-copper based non-enzymatic sensor exhibits good sensitivity in a range of 0.2-4.2 µM with a response time of <1 s. The performance of the sensor is not affected by pH and common interferents.