A highly sensitive sensor based on ordered mesoporous ZnFe

Accurate and sensitive detection of dopamine (DA) is fundamental to monitor and diagnose certain neurological diseases. Herein, highly ordered mesoporous ZnFe2O4 (OM-ZnFe2O4) is prepared via a facile nanocasting method and shows the highly sensitive in the electrochemical detection of DA. The optimized OM-ZnFe2O4-40 shows the most excellent activity for DA oxidation in a wide linear range from 2 to 600 nM with a quick response time of 5 s, high sensitivity of 0.094 nA nM-1 and a lower detection limit of 0.4 nM (S/N = 3). The electrode modified with OM-ZnFe2O4 is further successfully used to monitor the increase of DA concentration induced by K+-stimulation of living PC12 cells in a neurological environment. This work offers a simple and powerful strategy for designing electrodes for detecting DA in biological systems.