Enhanced adsorption and detection of luteolin based on Fe/Zn bimetallic ZIF-derived Fe-Fe3O4 nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon in-situ grown on carbon nanofibers

As a natural flavonoid compound found in fruits, vegetables and herbs, luteolin (LU) has potent pharmacological activities and beneficial biological properties. Here, a Fe/Zn bimetallic ZIF pyrolysis-derived Fe-Fe 3 O 4 N-doped mesoporous carbon was in-situ grown on carbon nanofibers (Fe-Fe 3 O 4 -NPC@CNFs), and it was used as an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensing platform for the efficient detection of LU in natural samples. Multiple characterization results show that Fe-Fe 3 O 4 -NPC@CNFs is a dodecahedral particle uniformly grown on CNFs with good crystal structure and uniform elemental distribution. Its rough surface with good mesoporous structure and high specific surface area of 823.19 m 2 /g is beneficial for LU adsorption. The density of states (DOS) and adsorption energies of NPC and Fe-Fe 3 O 4 -NPC further demonstrate that Fe-Fe 3 O 4 -NPC has better electrochemical performance and adsorption effect on LU. Under optimized conditions (carbonization: 800℃, pH: 5.0, enrichment: −0.2 V for 400 s), the Fe-Fe 3 O 4 -NPC@CNFs/GCE sensor showed satisfactory detection performance for LU in the range of 0.001–1.5 μM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.47 nM. Furthermore, this sensor exhibits excellent anti-interference capability, reproducibility, and stability, and it was also possible to effectively detect LU in food samples. This work provides a new strategy for the quantitative analysis of LU in food.