The effect of Ti 2 C MXene on the performance of optical fiber-based surface plasmon resonance sensor towards lead detection

The performance of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors using gold (Au)-coated arc-shaped fiber and titanium carbide (Ti 2 C) MXene deposited on the Au-coated arc-shaped fiber was investigated using different concentrations of lead ions (Pb 2+ ). The sensitivity of the Ti 2 C deposited Au-coated arc-shaped fiber SPR sensor was 14.81 nm/M, about 1.3 times better than that of Au coating alone. The Ti 2 C deposited Au-coated arc-shaped fiber SPR sensor's performance has a detection limit (LOD) of 0.241 M, detection accuracy (DA) of 6.58  ×  10 -3 nm −1, the figure of merit (FOM) of 0.097 M −1, and a sensor resolution of 0.101 M. The large surface area of MXene enhances surface contact, and the formation of functional groups (–OH, =O, -F) on the MXene surfaces promotes hydrophilic properties, facilitating the trapping of water molecules. This work provides a foundation for experimental exploration into integrating other MXene materials with optical fiber SPR sensing devices.