Selective determination of epinephrine using electrochemical sensor based on ordered mesoporous carbon / nickel oxide nanocomposite

A nanocomposite of ordered mesoporous carbon/nickel oxide (OMC-NiO) was synthesized by hard-templating method. The nanocomposite remained ordered mesostructure and high surface area with the NiO nanocrystals embedded in the wall of the OMC. A sensitive sensor for electrochemical detection of epinephrine (EP) was developed with GCE modified by OMC-NiO nanocomposite. Cyclic voltammogram (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used as the techniques to explore the electrochemical behavior of EP on OMC-NiO/GCE surface. The result showed that the electrode demonstrated better electrocatalytic performance to EP compared to that seen at OMC/GCE. Under the optimum condition, DPV measurements of the electrode response displayed a linear detection range for 8.0 × 10−7 to 5.0 × 10−5 M with a detection limit of 8.5 × 10−8 M (S/N = 3). It is worth noting that the electrocatalytic redox mechanism of EP on the electrode have studied through experiments and calculations (cyclic voltammetry and molecular electrostatic potential distribution). Moreover, the electrocatalytic behavior for the oxidation of EP and uric acid (UA) on OMC-NiO/GCE surface was investigated. The result showed that the sensor can be used to selectively determinate EP in the presence of an excesses of UA. Finally, the developed sensor was successfully applied to the determination of EP in spiked human blood serum and EP injection with satisfactory results. Schematic representation of the excellent electrochemical redox process of Epinephrine (EP) on the ordered mesoporous carbon - nickel oxide (OMC-NiO)/glassy carbon electrode (GCE). [Display omitted] •An epinephrine electrochemical sensor based on OMC and NiO was successfully constructed for the first time.•The redox mechanism of epinephrine was inferred by CV and molecular electrostatic potential distribution.•This sensor is adequate to selectively determinate epinephrine in the presence of excessive uric acid.•This sensor exhibited satisfactory stability and accuracy for epinephrine detection in real biological samples.