High-catalytic-activity conductive Cu-MOF coupled with carbon black Super-P for the rapid electrochemical detection of methylglyoxal in food and biological fluid

Elevated levels of methylglyoxal (MG) in the human body are linked to various metabolic disorders. Therefore, developing efficient methods for detecting MG in food and biological fluid is of significant importance. In this work, a high-catalytic-activity conductive copper-based metal–organic framework (Cu₃(HHTP)₂) was synthesized via a hydrothermal method, and a sensitive electrochemical sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), denoted as Super-P/Cu₃(HHTP)₂/GCE, for monitoring methylglyoxal (MG) was constructed using a composite of Cu₃(HHTP)₂ and carbon black Super-P. Leveraging the catalytic activity of Cu₃(HHTP)₂ and the enhanced conductivity provided by Super-P, the sensor demonstrated a wide linear detection range (1–500 µM) and a low detection limit (0.0275 µM). Moreover, it was successfully applied to the determination of MG in milk, beer, urine, and human serum samples, achieving recoveries ranging from 91.7 % to 115.7 %. This work opens up new avenues for the development of innovative electroanalytical tools for MG monitoring in both food and biological fluid.