A poly(3-methylthiophene)/borophene hybrid for tartaric acid detection

Abstract

Tartaric acid (TA), a key organic acid in grapes and wine, is closely linked to taste quality and human health, making its accurate detection highly important. In this work, we report a borophene/poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MTP) hybrid electrode fabricated via solvent-mediated exfoliation of borophene and electropolymerization of P3MTP on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. The modified electrode was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and interference studies, showing a wide linear detection range (5–300 μM), a low detection limit (LOD) (4 μM), and high selectivity toward TA. The sensor also demonstrated excellent stability. In addition, the sensor demonstrated reproducibility with a relative standard deviation (RSD%) of 1.70%. Furthermore, molecular simulations clarified the interaction mechanism between TA, borophene, and P3MTP, explaining the observed electrochemical interaction. These findings highlight the potential of borophene-polymer hybrids as efficient sensing platforms for food quality control and health monitoring.