Ultrafine Fe3C nanoparticles embedded in N-doped graphitic carbon sheets for simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, uric acid and xanthine

A pyrolytic method is described for preparation of ultrafine Fe3C nanoparticles incorporated into N-doped graphitic carbon nanosheets (Fe3C@NGCSs). Iron phthalocyanine and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) are used as starting materials. The hybrid nanocomposite was placed on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and then applied to simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA) and xanthine (XA). Figures of merits are as follows: for AA, the linear response range covers the 54.0–5491.0 μM range, the lower detection limit is 16.7 μM, and the best working voltage (vs. the saturated calomel electrode (SCE)) is 0.05 V. The respective data for DA are 1.2–120.8 μM, 0.34 μM and 0.19 V (vs. SCE). For UA, the respective data are 4.8–263.0 μM, 1.4 μM and 0.32 V (vs. SCE), and for XA the data are 4.8–361.0 μM, 1.5 μM and 0.71 V (vs. SCE). The method was successfully applied to their simultaneous determination in spiked serum samples.