Colorimetric and visual determination of uric acid based on decolorization of manganese dioxide nanosheet dispersions

Serum levels of uric acid (UA) play an important role in the prevention of diseases. Developing a rapid and accurate way to detect UA is still a meaningful task. Hence, positively charged manganese dioxide nanosheets (MnO 2 NSs) with an average latter size of 100 nm and an ultra-thin thickness of below 1 nm have been prepared. They can be well dispersed in water and form stable yellow-brown solutions. The MnO 2 NSs can be decomposed by UA via redox reaction, leading to a decline of a characteristic absorption peak (374 nm) and a color fading of MnO 2 NSs solution. On this basis, an enzyme-free colorimetric sensing system for the detection of UA has been developed. The sensing system shows many advantages, including a wide linear range of 0.10–50.0 μmol/L, a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.10 μmol/L, a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.047 μmol/L (3σ/m), and rapid response without need of strict time control. Moreover, a simple and convenient visual sensor for UA detection has also been developed by adding an appropriate amount of phthalocyanine to provide a blue background color, which helps to increase visual discrimination. Finally, the strategy has been successfully applied to detect UA in human serum and urine samples. Graphical Abstract