Two-dimensional titanium carbide (MXene) nanosheets as an efficient electrocatalyst for 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide detection

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) MXene-based electrode materials have recently gained attention in the field of electrochemical sensors. Herein, we report the first titanium carbide (TiC)-based electrochemical sensor for the detection of 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4-NO). X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, elemental mapping, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to examine the structural and compositional properties of TiC. With the 2D MXene structure, the TiC-modified electrode provides excellent conductivity, an electron transfer boost, large surface area, and nanoscale effects, which improve the electrochemical activity for 4-NO detection. The fabricated electrochemical sensor shows a strong voltammetry performance at −0.32 V with a wide linear range (0.01–114 μM and 133–650 μM) and a low limit of detection (2 nM) for 4-NO detection. The real-time analysis of 4-NO content in biological samples was successfully conducted and afforded good recoveries. Our method of design produces an efficient electrode material for 4-NO detection with outstanding electrochemical performance.