Copper Nanoclusters Anchored on Crumpled N-Doped MXene for Ultra-Sensitive Electrochemical Sensing

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?3D crumpled MXene with strain wrinkles enhances conductivity and prevents restacking.Cu nanoclusters (3.0 wt%) synergize N-doping for noble metal-like catalytic activity.What is the implication of the main finding?Ultrasensitive dual-analyte non-enzymatic detection of DA/UA with anti-interference capability and rapid response.Novel material design strategies provide new approaches for the development of future high-performance sensors.Simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA) is essential for diagnosing neurological and metabolic diseases but hindered by overlapping electrochemical signals. We present an ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor using copper nanoclusters anchored on nitrogen-doped crumpled Ti3C2TxMXene (Cu-N/Ti3C2Tx). The engineered 3D crumpled architecture prevents MXene restacking, exposes active sites, and enhances ion transport, while Cu nanoclusters boost electrocatalytic activity via accelerated electron transfer. Structural analyses confirm uniform Cu dispersion (3.0 wt%), Ti-N bonding, and strain-induced wrinkles, synergistically improving conductivity. The sensor achieves exceptional sensitivity (1958.3 and 1152.7 μA·mM−1·cm−2for DA/UA), ultralow detection limits (0.058 and 0.099 μM for DA/UA), rapid response (<1.5 s), and interference resistance (e.g., ascorbic acid). Differential pulse voltammetry enables independent linear detection ranges (DA: 2–60 μM; UA: 5–100 μM) in biofluids, with 94.4% stability retention over 7 days. The designed sensor exhibits excellent capabilities for DA and UA detection. This work provides a novel design strategy for developing high-performance electrochemical sensors.