Study of Chitosan-Stabilized Ti₃C₂T<i>_x</i> MXene for Ultrasensitive and Interference-Free Detection of Gaseous H₂O₂

Abstract

The development of sensitive, selective, and reliable gaseous hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) sensors operating at room temperature still represents a remaining challenge. In this work, we have investigated and combined the advantageous properties of a two-dimensional Ti₃C₂T<i>_x</i> MXene material that exhibits a large specific surface area and high surface activity, with favorable conducting and stabilizing properties of chitosan. The MXene-chitosan membrane was deposited on the ferrocyanide-modified screen-printed working carbon electrode, followed by applying poly(acrylic acid) as an electrolyte and accumulation medium for gaseous H₂O₂. The sensor showed highly sensitive and selective electroanalytical performance for detecting trace concentrations of gaseous H₂O₂ with a very low detection limit of 4 μg m^-3 (4 ppbv), linear response in the studied concentration range of 0.5-30.0 mg m^-3, and good reproducibility with an RSD of 1.3%. The applicability of the sensor was demonstrated by point-of-interest detection of gaseous H₂O₂ during the real hair bleaching process with a 9 and 12% H₂O₂ solution.