Sea urchin nanostructured nickel cobaltite modified carbon cloth integrated wearable patches for the on-site detection of the immunosuppressant drug mycophenolate mofetil

Abstract

Mycophenolate mofetil (MpM) is a medication used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs, particularly in kidney, heart, and liver transplant surgeries. It is extremely important to be conscious that MpM can raise the risk of severe infections and some cancers if it exceeds the recommended dose while lower doses will result in organ rejections. So, it is essential to monitor the dosage of MpM in real time in the micromolar range. In this work, we have synthesized 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) functionalized nickel cobaltite (NiCo₂O₄) and this amino functionalization was chosen to enhance the stability and electrochemical activity of NiCo₂O₄. The enhanced activity of NiCo₂O₄ was used for developing an electrochemical sensor for the detection of MpM. APTES functionalized NiCo₂O₄ was coated on carbon cloth and used as the working electrode. Surface functionalization with APTES on NiCo₂O₄ was aimed at augmenting the adsorption/interaction of MpM due to its binding properties. The developed sensor showed a very low detection limit of 1.23 nM with linear ranges of 10–100 nM and 1–100 μM and its practical applicability was examined using artificial samples of blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid, validating its potential application in real-life scenarios.