MXene with Great Adsorption Ability toward Organic Dye: An Excellent Material for Constructing a Ratiometric...

Ratiometric electrochemical sensors coupled with an intrinsic built-in correction have received much attention in biochemical analysis, which can effectively avoid potential impacts from both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. However, the complex modification procedure and the unstable reference signal limit development and application of ratiometric sensing. To address these issues, we proposed a novel ratiometric electrochemical platform based on MXene. Introduction of built-in correction was realized via simple one-step incubation of MXene in solution containing the reference molecule methylene blue (MB), and their firm electrostatic interaction ensures the strong adsorption capability of MXene toward MB. Remarkable enhancement in repeatibility and stability compared with nonratio sensor was proved by detecting the model analyte piroxicam. Furthermore, compatibility of the ratio sensor was demonstrated by integrating copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) into the platform. It turned out that sensing performance of the hybrid electrochemical sensor was significantly improved owing to synergistic effect of MXene and CuNPs, where the former affords a large specific surface area as well as quick electron transport, and the latter possess decent electrical catalytic ability. In all, the proposed ratiometric sensor based on MXene features easy preparation, superb reproducibility, robustness, and broad applicability, affording the platform highly competitive and reliable in the determination of a wide range of substances.