3D-printed NiMOF-MXene nanocomposite-based sensing chip with enhanced electrocatalytic response for glucose detection in human blood sample in physiological pH

2D MXene has attracted much attention in electrochemical blood glucose sensing technology in the recent past. However, the use of MXene as an electrochemical sensor material has exhibited limitations as the output signal in the form of current remained weak to express the sensitivity, which has been a critical factor for the fabrication of a new sensor under the point-of-care (PoC) settings. To address this issue, a 3D-printed nickel metal–organic frameworks-MXene (NiMOF-MXene) nanocomposite-based PoC sensing chip has been reported for electrochemical detection of blood glucose at physiological pH. The synthesized nanocomposite (NiMOF-MXene) was mixed with carbon black (CB) ink and sequentially 3D printed as NiMOF-MXene@CB-layered electrode structure, where NiMOF acted as active interfacial sites for glucose oxidation, MXene mediated the rapid electron transfer and CB acted as the binder for nanocomposite-based ink. The estimated limit of detection, sensitivity, and linear range of the fabricated sensor was found to be 0.5 µM, 3.90 mA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², and 1–15 mM, respectively. The sensor was tested for its glucose detection capability using whole blood samples. Compared to the recently reported chip-based electrochemical blood glucose sensors, this sensor does not require blood dilution with alkaline media establishing its electrochemical capability toward human blood glucose detection under PoC settings.