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Nickel-cobalt metal-organic frameworks based flexible hydrogel as a wearable contact lens for electrochemical sensing of urea in tear samples

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Abstract

A flexible, wearable, non-invasive contact lens sensor utilizing nickel-cobalt metal-organic framework (Ni-Co-MOF) based hydrogel is introduced for urea monitoring in tear samples. The synthesized Ni-Co-MOF hydrogel exhibits a porous structure with interconnected voids, as visualized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Detailed structural and vibrational properties of the material were characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The developed Ni-Co-MOF hydrogel sensor showcases a detection limit of 0.445 mM for urea within a linear range of 0.5–70 mM. Notably, it demonstrates exceptional selectivity, effectively distinguishing against interfering species like UA, AA, glucose, dopamine, Cl−, K+, Na+, Ca2+, and IgG. The enhanced electrocatalytic performance of the Ni-Co-MOF hydrogel electrode is attributed to the presence of Ni and Co, fostering Ni2+ oxidation on the surface and forming a Co2+ complex that acts as a catalyst for urea oxidation. The fabricated sensor exhibits successful detection and retrieval of urea in simulated tear samples, showcasing promising potential for bioanalytical applications. The binder-free, non-toxic nature of the Ni-Co-MOF hydrogel sensor presents exciting avenues for future utilization in non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing, including applications in wearable devices, point-of-care diagnostics, and personalized healthcare monitoring.

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Acknowledgments

S.B. acknowledges financial assistance from Department of Science and Technology (DST) Nano Mission project DST/ NM/ NT/2020/322.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, 502285, India

    Gopika Mukundan

  2. Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, 502285, India

    Sushmee Badhulika

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Gopika Mukundan – Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Validation, Visualization, Writing- original draft preparation.

Sushmee Badhulika - Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

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Correspondence to Sushmee Badhulika.

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Mukundan, G., Badhulika, S. Nickel-cobalt metal-organic frameworks based flexible hydrogel as a wearable contact lens for electrochemical sensing of urea in tear samples. Microchim Acta 191, 252 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-024-06339-8

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