Simultaneous Catechol and Hydroquinone Detection with Laser Fabricated MOF-Derived Cu-CuO@C Composite Electrochemical Sensor

The conversion of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into advanced functional materials offers a promising route for producing unique nanomaterials. MOF-derived systems have the potential to overcome the drawbacks of MOFs, such as low electrical conductivity and poor structural stability, which have hindered their real-world applications in certain cases. In this study, laser scribing was used for pyrolysis of a Cu-based MOF ([Cu4{1,4-C6H4(COO)2}3(4,4 '-bipy)2]n) to synthesize a Cu-CuO@C composite on the surface of a screen-printed electrode (SPE). Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used for the investigation of the morphology and composition of the fabricated electrodes. The electrochemical properties of Cu-CuO@C/SPE were studied by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The proposed flexible electrochemical Cu-CuO@C/SPE sensor for the simultaneous detection of hydroquinone and catechol exhibited good sensitivity, broad linear range (1-500 mu M), and low limits of detection (0.39 mu M for HQ and 0.056 mu M for CT).