Amino-functionalized multilayer Ti₃C₂T_x enabled electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of Cd²⁺ and...

Herein, amino-functionalized multilayer titanium carbide (NH₂-Ti₃C₂T_x) was developed and applied to electrochemical sensor for simultaneous determination of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺. The NH₂-Ti₃C₂T_x was prepared by grafting (3-amino-propyl) triethylsilane (APTES) onto the surface of Ti₃C₂T_x. Its morphology, crystal structure and chemical composition were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Benefiting from the unique multilayer structure, large active surface area, strong adsorption capacity and excellent electrical conductivity, the functionalized NH₂-Ti₃C₂T_x presented satisfactory electrochemical performances for Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ determination, and the detection limits were 0.41 μg L^-1 and 0.31 μg L^-1, respectively. Based on chemical coordination and electrochemical accumulation, the suggested mechanism for Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ determination was also deeply clarified. Besides, it was successfully applied to simultaneous determination of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in food samples including rice, wheat, sorghum and corn, demonstrating a good practicability.