Facile synthesis of ionic liquid mobilized ZnO@Ti₃C₂T_x composite nanosheets for high charged transfer, sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of 5-flurouracil in waste water and urine samples

Controlling and monitoring the concentration of anticancer drugs in physiological fluids and water bodies are crucial for successful cancer treatment and environmental considerations. However, the development of electrochemical-based sensors having high charge transfer rate, high conductivity, sensitivity and selectivity for anticancer drugs (ACDs) have been limited research due to their poor oxidation–reduction behaviour and complex structures. To address this issue, we pursuit a simple and efficient synthesis route of zinc nanowires (ZnO NWs) decorated on MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) nanosheets and utilized for the electrochemical detection of antimetabolite drug namely, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). We enhance the charge transfer between two nanostructures by incorporating an ionic liquid (ILs). Detailed spectroscopic analysis demonstrates the interaction between ZnO and MXene, which is further improved by the addition of ILs through metal–oxygen bonds. XRD patterns also indicated an intensity reduction and shifting of the MXene's (0 0 2) peak which supporting the spectroscopic results. Moreover, the results confirm that ILs enhance the interfacial connectivity between ZnO NWs and MXene nanosheets through electrostatic interactions, improving the charge transfer rate, sensing capability, and signal intensity for anticancer drug detection. The optimized ILs_ZnO@MX composite exhibits a 10-fold lower limit of detection for 5-FU (0.03 µM) compared to bare ZnO@MX.