P-010

Saqib Ali

saqib.ali@ftmc.lt

Veronika Zahorodna, Oleksiy Gogotsi, Arunas Ramanavicius, Simonas Ramanavicius

Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Vilnius, Lithuania

Au Clusters Decorated Mxene For Colorimetric Sensing Of Pharmaceuticals

Colorimetric sensors are becoming increasingly popular in biological and environmental sensing applications due to their high selectivity, sensitivity, cost effectiveness, simplicity of use, rapid analysis, ease of use, and visibility to the naked eye. Researchers have created a number of colorimetric sensors that detect both organic and inorganic substances. Some key areas of application for colorimetric sensors are the detection of organic species, such as proteins, amino acids, DNA/RNA, and microorganisms like viruses and bacteria, as well as their widespread exploration for water quality sensing, which is also in the mainstream, such as reactive oxygen species, acidity/base, and heavy metal ion detections, and use as biomarkers in clinical diagnostics [1][2]. Colorimetric sensors work by recording changes in color in the presence of the target analyte, allowing for real-time detection and highly sensitive direct identification of molecules. However, previous technologies are constrained by low extinction coefficients and low colorimeter accuracy due to material restrictions [3]. Advanced nanomaterials, such as 2D materials, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, and quantum dots, have greatly contributed to the development of colorimetric sensors  [4]. MXenes are the newest member of the 2D material family, discovered in 2011. Since then, MXenes have been under focus for their multiple applications due to its high surface area and surface functionality [5]. Here we present an Au nanoparticle-decorated, functionalized MXene-based colorimetric sensor developed at room temperature for the colorimetric detection of tiny quantities of organic compounds in water.  In this study, Au functionalized MXene shows the prominent Au nanocluster growth evident in the 580 nm Au plasmonic peak. This work shows high detection sensitivity and selectivity for paracetamol in water. Furthermore, our work broadens the application of MXene in colorimetric sensor technology and provides a simple analyte sensing platform, opening a new route for extremely sensitive colorimetric sensors for future applications.

[1]  S. Zukauskas et al., “Electrochemical real-time sensor for the detection of Pb(II) ions based on Ti3C2Tx MXene,” Sci. Total Environ., vol. 950, p. 175190, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2024.175190.

[2] I. Navitski, A. Ramanaviciute, S. Ramanavicius, M. Pogorielov, and A. Ramanavicius, “MXene-Based Chemo-Sensors and Other Sensing Devices,” Nanomater. 2024, Vol. 14, Page 447, vol. 14, no. 5, p. 447, Feb. 2024, doi: 10.3390/NANO14050447.

[3] J. Zhou et al., “Recent Advances in Design and Application of Nanomaterials-Based Colorimetric Biosensors for Agri-food Safety Analysis,” ACS Omega, vol. 8, no. 49, pp. 46346–46361,Dec 2023,doi:10.1021/ACSOMEGA.3C06409/ASSET/IMAGES/LARGE/AO3C06409_0007.JPEG

[4] Y. Wu, J. Feng, G. Hu, E. Zhang, and H. H. Yu, “Colorimetric Sensors for Chemical and Biological Sensing Applications,” Sensors 2023, Vol. 23, Page 2749, vol. 23, no. 5, p. 2749, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.3390/S23052749.

[5]        M. Naguib et al., “Two-Dimensional Nanocrystals Produced by Exfoliation of Ti3AlC2,” Adv. Mater., vol. 23, no. 37, pp. 4248–4253, Oct. 2011, doi: 10.1002/ADMA.201102306.