A novel In2O3-doped ZnO decorated mesoporous carbon nanocomposite as a sensitive and selective dopamine electrochemical sensor

Abstract

Dopamine (DA), a critical biomolecule involved in neurotransmission, is implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Therefore, accurate detection of DA is crucial for the swift diagnosis of conditions arising from abnormal DA levels. Consequently, we utilized a novel nanocomposite material comprising In2O3-doped ZnO decorated on mesoporous carbon (In2O3·ZnO@MC) as the active nanomaterial for the fabrication of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The structural and morphological properties of In2O3·ZnO@MC were comprehensively analyzed utilizing a variety of characterization techniques to confirm its functionality as the sensing nanomaterial. This innovative sensor demonstrates the ability to detect a wide range of DA concentrations, ranging from 0.5 to 2056 μM, in a neutral phosphate buffer solution, exhibiting a high sensitivity of 0.2153 μAμM−1cm−2 and an acceptable detection limit of 0.024 μM. This sensor enables precise DA level measurements in real samples due to its high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, it is a dependable and trustworthy sensor for DA measurement due to its outstanding reproducibility, repeatability, and stability.

Keywords

• In2O3-doped ZnO
• Mesoporous carbon
• Dopamine
• Amperometric sensor
• Standard addition method