Inkjet printing based ultra-small MnO₂ nanosheets synthesis for glutathione sensing

Manganese dioxide (MnO₂) with small size is competent in sensing applications, but its synthesis generally adopts templates or in complex ways. Inkjet printing technique with excellent performance offers a versatile tool due to its stability, flexibility, economy. Herein, an inkjet printing method was developed for rapid synthesis of ultra-small MnO₂ nanosheets. The findings validated the feasibility of inkjet printing method for MnO₂ nanosheets synthesis and achieved the demand of small size and facile mode. Additionally, the limit of detection (LOD) of ultra-small MnO₂ nanosheets in glutathione (GSH) sensing achieved 0.26 μM, which was about 40% more sensitive than that of the typical MnO₂ nanosheets, enabling the establishment of a rapid and efficient modality for sensitive and selective GSH sensing. By virtue of the inkjet printing approach, the ultra-small MnO₂ nanosheets was obtained in a short time without complicated fabricating process. It can be foreseen that the proposed inkjet printing approach would facilitate the application prospects of ultra-small MnO₂ nanosheets in diverse fields. Such a facile approach may open new avenues for synthesis of ultra-small or ultrafine nanomaterials.