Harnessing Graphdiyne for Selective Cu2+ Detection: A Promising Tool for Parkinson’s Disease Diagnostics and Pathogenesis

Cu²⁺ accelerates the viral-like propagation of α-synuclein fibrils and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, the accurate detection of Cu²⁺ is essential for the diagnosis of PD and other neurological diseases. The Cu²⁺ detection process is impeded by substances that have similar electrochemical properties. In this study, graphdiyne (GDY), a new kind of carbon allotrope with strong electron-donating ability, was utilized for the highly selective detection of Cu²⁺ by taking advantage of its outstanding adsorption capacity for Cu²⁺. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that Cu atoms are adsorbed in the cavity of GDY, and the absorption energy between Cu and C atoms is higher than that of graphene (GR), indicating that the cavity of GDY is favorable for the adsorption of Cu atoms and electrochemical sensing. The GDY-based electrochemical sensor can effectively avoid the interference of amino acids, metal ions and neurotransmitters and has a high sensitivity of 9.77 μA·μM^-1·cm^-2, with a minimum detectable concentration of 200 nM. During the investigating pathogenesis and therapeutic process of PD with α-synuclein as the diagnostic standard, the concentration of Cu²⁺ in cells before and after L-DOPA and GSH treatments were examined, and it was found that Cu²⁺ exhibits high potential as a biomarker for PD. This study not only harnesses the favorable adsorption of the GDY and Cu²⁺ to improve the specificity of ion detection but also provide clues for deeper understanding of the role of Cu²⁺ in neurobiology and neurological diseases.