Rapid Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of CuSe Nanoparticles for High-Sensitivity Serotonin Biosensing in Serum

Abstract

In this study, a simple and effective approach was developed for the quantitative detection of serotonin. Hexagonal copper selenide nanostructures (CuSe) were employed to modify a disposable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), and their ability to electrochemically detect serotonin in serum samples was investigated. The fabricated CuSe nanostructures exhibited an interconnected, cluster-like morphology composed of irregularly shaped particles with a distinct hexagonal crystal structure. The electrochemical results revealed that the CuSe/SPCE sensor showed better electrochemical activity and good analytical sensing performance towards serotonin detection. The sensor exhibited a linear response in the concentration range of 10 to 1000 nM, with an excellent correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.9998) and a low detection limit of 3 nM. Furthermore, the CuSe/SPCE showed better selectivity, impressive sensitivity (12.45 µM/µA cm−2), and good reproducibility toward serotonin detection, making it a promising electrochemical biosensor for serotonin detection in various real biological samples. © 2025 by the authors.