Ultrathin 2D bismuth oxychloride nanosheets as novel catalytic interfaces for detection of biomolecules

We introduce highly stable 2D layered bismuth oxychloride nanosheets as the catalytic interfaces to bind important biomedical analytes. Transmission electron and atomic force microscopy revealed the prepared nanosheets possess perfect square morphology possessing average lateral size of 200 nm, and thickness around 3-4 nm. We specifically demonstrated characteristics for the binding of uric acid. When these sheets were employed to functionalize microchips, the limit of detection was achieved as low as 0.38 mu M (S/N = 3). We further investigated that the modified devices determined successfully uric acid in human blood sample. This is the first study where ultrathin nanostructures are integrated with microchips. This work establishes the potential of ultrathin graphene-like nanosheets to design smart and effective interfaces for label-free binding of molecules of clinical and pharmacology significance.