Synthesis of cobalt phosphide hybrid for simultaneous electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), and uric acid (UA) are important biomarkers for the clinical screening of diseases. However, the simultaneous determination of these three analytes is still challenging. Herein, we report a facile metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived method to synthesize a cobalt phosphide (Co₂P) hybrid for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of AA, DA and UA. The introduction of highly dispersed Co₂P nanoparticles onto a P, N-doped porous carbon matrix is responsible for providing abundant active sites and facilitating electron transfer, thereby contributing to the improved electrocatalytic performance of the hybrid. Well-resolved oxidation peaks and an enhanced current response for the simultaneous oxidation of AA, DA, and UA were achieved using a Co₂P hybrid-modified screen-printed electrode (Co₂P hybrid-SPE) with the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method. The detection limits for AA, DA, and UA in simultaneous detection were calculated as 17.80 μM, 0.018 μM, and 0.068 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. Furthermore, the feasibility of using Co₂P hybrid-SPE for the simultaneous detection of AA, DA, and UA in real serum samples was also confirmed.