Development of an Fe3O4@Cu silicate based sensing platform for the electrochemical sensing of dopamine

Abnormal levels of dopamine (DA) in body fluids is an indication of serious health issues, hence development of highly sensitive platforms for the precise detection of DA is highly essential. Herein, we demonstrate an Fe3O4@Cu silicate based electrochemical sensing platform for the detection of DA. Morphology and BET analysis shows the formation of approximate to 320 nm sized sea urchin-like Fe3O4@Cu silicate core-shell nanostructures with a 174.5 m(2) g(-1) surface area. Compared to Fe3O4 and Fe3O4@SiO2, the Fe3O4@Cu silicate urchins delivered enhanced performance towards the electrochemical sensing of DA in neutral pH. The Fe3O4@Cu silicate sensor has a 1.37 A M-1 cm(-2) sensitivity, 100-700 M linear range and 3.2 M limit of detection (LOD). In addition, the proposed Fe3O4@Cu silicate DA sensor also has good stability, selectivity, reproducibility and repeatability. The presence of Cu in Fe3O4@Cu silicate and the negatively charged surface of the Cu silicate shell play a vital role in achieving high selectivity and sensitivity during DA sensing. The current investigation not only represents the development of a highly selective DA sensor but also directs towards the possibility for the fabrication of other Cu silicate based core-shell nanostructures for the precise detection of DA.