An electrochemical biosensor of Sn@C derived from ZnSn(OH)6 for sensitive determination of acetaminophen

• A novel and sensitive biosensor is developed to detect acetaminophen. • Constructing Sn@C derived from ZnSn(OH) 6 by a green thermal calcination method and successfully modified on the glassy carbon electrode. • The conductive tin and the carbon with active sites exhibit synergistic effect. • The Sn-C bond facilitates the electron transfer process in the electrooxidation of acetaminophen. In this study, Sn@C composite was fabricated from ZnSn(OH) 6 through a green thermal calcination method. For the first time, this composite was used as a modifier on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct an electrochemical biosensor to detect acetaminophen (AC). The Sn@C sensor exhibited distinctly enhanced performance in electrochemical response to AC compared with bare GCE, GCE modified with Sn and GCE modified with graphene. The linear range is 0.2–100 μM and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.020 μM based on DPV analysis. The excellent electrochemical behavior can be ascribed to the outstanding conductivity of metal Sn and carbon, and the strong adsorption of the carbon layer to AC. Most importantly, the chemical interaction between Sn and C through Sn-C bond facilitated the electron transfer process in the electrooxidation of AC. Finally, the Sn@C sensor was successfully applied in pharmaceutical samples and spiked serum samples to detect AC with satisfactory recoveries.