Ni_1- Mn Co₂O₄ Nanoparticles as High-Performance Electrochemical Sensor Materials for Acetaminophen Monitoring

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Ternary metal oxides exhibit enhanced electrical and optical properties over binary oxides.
• These materials are promising for catalysis and energy storage.
• Electrochemical detection of pharmaceuticals like acetaminophen is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electrochemical performance of Ni_1-xMn_xCo₂O₄ nanoparticles for acetaminophen detection.
• To synthesize and characterize cobaltite nanoparticles using gel-combustion.
• To evaluate sensor sensitivity, detection limit, and response time.

Main Methods:

• Gel-combustion synthesis of Ni_1-xMn_xCo₂O₄ nanoparticles.
• Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and differential pulse voltammetry.
• Analysis of acetaminophen oxidation currents and scan rate dependence.

Main Results:

• Ni_0.5Mn_0.5Co₂O₄ nanoparticles demonstrated the highest sensitivity (38.2 μA cm^-2 mM^-1).
• A low detection limit of approximately 2 μM for acetaminophen was achieved.
• Rapid chronoamperometric response time (35.4 s) and short decay lifetime (0.31 s) were observed.

Conclusions:

• Ternary Ni_0.5Mn_0.5Co₂O₄ oxide nanostructures are effective for sensitive and efficient acetaminophen detection.
• The developed sensors exhibit fast response times, suitable for practical applications.
• Understanding the electrochemical mechanism and charge transfer is key for sensor optimization.