Fabrication of highly sensitive anticancer drug sensor based on heterostructured ZnO-Co₃O₄ capped on carbon nitride nanomaterials

Flutamide (FLT) is a nonsteroidal and antiandrogen drug with an explicit anti-androgenic behavior. Due to this reason, they are employed to treat prostate cancer. Also, they are utilized to cure superfluous androgen echelons. In recent days, zeolitic-imidazolate frameworks (ZIF) based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have grasped more consideration in the synthesis and preparation of MOFs based nanocomposite. Similarly, electrochemical detection of anti-cancer drugs are much needed. Herein, we report a novel preparation of zinc oxide-cobalt oxide capped on carbon nitride nanocomposite using a hydrothermal assisted sonochemical synthesis for detecting anti-cancer drug flutamide (FLT). The as-prepared ZnO-Co₃O₄@C₃N₄ NC was physically characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope. Then, an as-prepared sample was electrochemically analyzed to detect anti-cancer drug FLT. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was studied, and the ZnO-Co₃O₄@C₃N₄ NC modified electrode has displayed a lower R_ct value. ZnO-Co₃O₄@C₃N₄ NC modified electrode shows a respectable linear range (0.01–98.6 µM) with a low detection limit (0.00373 µM) and good sensitivity (5.331 μA.μM⁻¹.cm⁻²) towards FLT detection by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique. Similarly, the ZnO-Co₃O₄@C₃N₄ NC sensor exhibits good selectivity, repeatability, and reproducibility towards FLT. Also, for real sample analysis, biological samples like urine and blood serum were investigated, and the results show reasonable practicability.