Nannochloropsis Oceanica derived nitrogen-rich macroporous carbon for bi-atomic matching-catalytic flexible dopamine sensor

Nannochloropsis Oceanica (N. Oceanica), a microalga was used to derive a nitrogen-rich macroporous carbon (NMC) by a controlled carbonization process. The as-prepared NMC was employed to successfully fabricate a silk fabric-based flexible dopamine (DA) sensor for a broad detection range (0.02–2500 μM) and an extremely low limit of detection (0.006 μM). This ranks the best among all reported plain biochar-based ones. The sensing enhancement mechanism is attributed to the rich nitrogen atoms for a bi-atomic matching-catalysis scheme between catalytic centers and reaction sites of DA. The macroporous carbon can engages fast mass-transport but more importantly renders more robust than a meso/micropore structure for superior flexibility. This work offers a fresh thought to fabricate a highly stable and flexible sensor by using macroporous carbons but with rich nitrogen as catalysis centers for unique catalysis scheme. •A microalga derived nitrogen-rich macroporous carbon for sensitive detection of DA.•The rich nitrogen atoms provide bi-atomic matching catalytic centers for the reaction sites of DA.•The sensor has larger linear range and lower LOD than reported plain biochar ones.•The printed macroporous carbon on silk fabric shows great flexibility and stability.