The effect of Ti2C MXene on the performance of optical fiber-based surface plasmon resonance sensor towards lead detection

The performance of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors using gold (Au)-coated arc-shaped fiber and titanium carbide (Ti2C) MXene deposited on the Au-coated arc-shaped fiber was investigated using different concentrations of lead ions (Pb2+). The sensitivity of the Ti2C deposited Au-coated arc-shaped fiber SPR sensor was 14.81 nm/M, about 1.3 times better than that of Au coating alone. The Ti2C deposited Au-coated arc-shaped fiber SPR sensor's performance has a detection limit (LOD) of 0.241 M, detection accuracy (DA) of 6.58 x 10(-3) nm(-1), the figure of merit (FOM) of 0.097 M-1, and a sensor resolution of 0.101 M. The large surface area of MXene enhances surface contact, and the formation of functional groups (-OH, =O, -F) on the MXene surfaces promotes hydrophilic properties, facilitating the trapping of water molecules. This work provides a foundation for experimental exploration into integrating other MXene materials with optical fiber SPR sensing devices.