Highly sensitive detection of kaempferol using electrochemical sensors based on 3D-ordered mesh interconnect C60-GO, Ni-MOF, and β-cyclodextrin

Kaempferol (KA), which is a biologically active natural polyphenol compound with considerable medicinal value, can be used to fight various diseases. Herein, a β-cyclodextrin/fullerene-graphene oxide/Nickel-metal–organic framework (β-CD/C60-GO/Ni-MOF) composite-based electrochemical sensor was developed to detect KA; the composite was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy. The biocompatibility and host–guest recognition performance of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD); the porosity and the catalytic performance of the nickel-metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF); and the excellent electrical conductivity of fullerene-graphene oxide (C60-GO) work together to considerably improve the detection performance of the sensor for KA. The sensor has an extensive linear range (0.5–50 μM) and a low detection limit (58 nM) with an electrochemically active specific surface area of 0.0971 cm2; furthermore, the redox mechanism of KA in the sensor is explained. For the detection of actual natural samples of broccoli containing KA, satisfactory recovery rates and accuracy were observed; the recovery rate was 96.4 %–101.1 %.