Non-enzymatic dopamine detection using iron doped ZIF-8-based electrochemical sensor

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Sensing

Background:

• Dopamine is crucial in central nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems.
• Accurate dopamine detection is vital for diagnosing various disorders.
• Electrochemical methods offer an alternative to complex techniques like HPLC, but face interference challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate iron-modified Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 8 (Fe-ZIF-8) for sensitive and selective electrochemical dopamine detection.
• To synthesize Fe-ZIF-8 composites with varying iron ratios and identify the optimal composition.
• To assess the performance of the developed sensor in detecting dopamine in relevant concentrations.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Fe-ZIF-8 composites with varying iron content.
• Electrochemical characterization of synthesized materials using cyclic voltammetry.
• Fabrication of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with the optimal Fe-ZIF-8 composite (Fe5-ZIF-8).
• Evaluation of the sensor's sensitivity, selectivity, and limit of detection (LOD) for dopamine.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of Fe-ZIF-8 composites, with Fe5-ZIF-8 showing the most prominent electrochemical signals.
• The Fe5-ZIF-8/GCE sensor demonstrated sensitive and selective dopamine detection.
• A wide linear detection range of 0.05–20 μM was achieved for dopamine.
• The sensor exhibited a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.035 μM, suitable for human serum analysis.
• High selectivity was observed against common interfering substances like uric acid, ascorbic acid, and urea.

Conclusions:

• Fe-ZIF-8 is a promising material for developing highly sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors for dopamine.
• The Fe5-ZIF-8/GCE sensor offers a viable and efficient method for dopamine quantification.
• This approach holds potential for improved diagnostics of dopamine-related disorders.