Fabrication of a novel sensor based on Cu quantum dot and SH-SiO2 nanoparticles supported on copper-based metal organic framework (Cu QD-SH-SiO2@Cu-MOF) and its application for the simultaneous determination of norepinephrine, piroxicam and epinephrine

In this research, a novel electrochemical sensor with excellent sensitivity was fabricated based on Cu quantum dot (Cu QD) and SH-SiO2 nanoparticles immobilized on copper-metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOFs) for determining piroxicam and simultaneous determination of norepinephrine, piroxicam and epinephrine. The nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, EDX, FESEM, TEM and BET, and were subsequently used to modify carbon paste electrode. Cu QD-SH-SiO2@Cu-MOF for electrode modification possesses a distinctive structure and a high conductivity that raises the electron transfer rate and enhances the performance of electrochemical sensors. Square wave voltammetry was applied to investigate the redox properties of Cu QD-SH-SiO2@Cu-MOF/CPE, voltammograms showed three distinct anodic peaks at 0.41, 0.62 and 1.06 V in the presence of norepinephrine, piroxicam, and epinephrine. Various experimental parameters including the type and pH of electrolyte and scan rate were investigated. The calibration graph was obtained over the range 0.2-34285.0 μM including three linear segments. Also, the limit of detection was calculated as 0.05 μM of piroxicam. The introduced sensor was satisfactorily utilized for electrochemical determination of norepinephrine, piroxicam, and epinephrine in real samples. The obtained results using the introduced sensor were validated by high-performance liquid chromatography and the statistical tests confirmed the good agreement of them.