Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of MXene for Electrochemical Detection of Glucose

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides (MXenes) were discovered in 2011. The hydrophilic nature, biocompatibility, antifouling, and anti-toxicity properties have opened avenues for MXene to perform in vitro and in vivo analyses. Since the discovery, more than 20 different compositions have been synthesized by the selective etching of MAX phase and other precursors and even many more theoretically predicted. Various compositions offer variety of different properties, making the MXene family promising candidates for a wide range of applications, such as energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, water purification, electrocatalysis, and medicine. With the increasing attention on the potential applicability of MXenes, researchers have studied various synthesis methods in order to prepare MXenes more efficiently and with superior properties. The etching methods of MAX phase including HF etching methods, in situ HF-forming etching methods, electrochemical etching methods, alkali etching methods, and molten salt etching methods and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. Depending on the etching method, various functional groups are placed on the mxene surface, such as OH-, O-, F- and Cl-. The electrochemical and electronic properties of MXenes depend mostly on structure, composition, surface chemistry, and interlayer spacing. In present research, for the first time, MXene alone has been used for detection of glucose. To the best of our knowledge so far, this substance has been used together with other biopolymers such as chitosan for glucose detection. In situ HF-forming etching method was used for the synthesis of MXene where lithium ions are placed as intercalant between the mxene layers in order to increase the distance between the layers. Furthermore, the HF produced causes the Al layer to be removed from the MAX phase. The properties of MXene prepared as such are similar to that using HF. However, this MXene has several advantages, compared to the MXenes prepared by HF etching method, such as indirect use of HF which makes the synthesis process more safe and structure of the synthesized MXene is almost monolayer. On the other hand, as is known glucose is essential for regular human activities and is regulated by the production of insulin in the pancreas. A disparity in the action or production of insulin leads to an increase in the concentration of glucose, leading to diabetes, which has recently increased rapidly . By using the synthesized MXene, we fabricated a sensor and applied it for detection and measurement of the glucose by POTENTIOSTATE device and the DPV method with a scan rate of 50 mV/s and a potential range -0.8-0.8 V and electrolyte solution of 0.1 M PBS. glucose was detected with high sensitivity.