Facile Fabrication of Wood-Derived Porous Fe₃C/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Membrane for Colorimetric Sensing of Ascorbic Acid

Abstract

Fe3C nanoparticles hold promise as catalysts and nanozymes, but their low activity and complex preparation have hindered their use. Herein, this study presents a synthetic alternative toward efficient, durable, and recyclable, Fe3C-nanoparticle-encapsulated nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous carbon membranes (Fe3C/N–C). By employing a simple one-step synthetic method, we utilized wood as a renewable and environmentally friendly carbon precursor, coupled with poly(ionic liquids) as a nitrogen and iron source. This innovative strategy offers sustainable, high-performance catalysts with improved stability and reusability. The Fe3C/N–C exhibits an outstanding peroxidase-like catalytic activity toward the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which stems from well-dispersed, small Fe3C nanoparticles jointly with the structurally unique micro-/macroporous N–C membrane. Owing to the remarkable catalytic activity for mimicking peroxidase, an efficient and sensitive colorimetric method for detecting ascorbic acid over a broad concentration range with a low limit of detection (~2.64 µM), as well as superior selectivity, and anti-interference capability has been developed. This study offers a widely adaptable and sustainable way to synthesize an Fe3C/N–C membrane as an easy-to-handle, convenient, and recoverable biomimetic enzyme with excellent catalytic performance, providing a convenient and sensitive colorimetric technique for potential applications in medicine, biosensing, and environmental fields.

Keywords

• iron carbide nanoparticles
• nitrogen-doped carbon
• wood-derived carbon
• colorimetric detection
• ascorbic acid