Review—Trends in the Development of Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Sensors Modified with a Metal-Organic Framework for Quantification of Uric Acid

Abstract

Uric acid is an important metabolite as its blood levels can help diagnose significant diseases. The accepted methodology for quantifying uric acid is based on enzymatic-spectrophotometric techniques, but in recent years, new alternatives have emerged. Electroanalytical strategies have emerged as promising alternatives for the accurate and precise determination of uric acid. This review analyzes the development over the last decade of non-enzymatic electrochemical studies based on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for the detection of uric acid. MOFs have recently arisen as new materials for the electrochemical determination of organic molecules of biomedical interest. Most of the proposals in the literature reported applications of these sensors for the determination of uric acid in blood, urine, and pharmaceutical products. Vitreous carbon and carbon paste electrodes are the main transductors modified with MOF materials to electro-oxidize uric acid; the maximum anodic peak current is then used as the analytical signal. The reported results are promising, demonstrating that this electroanalytical approach represents a viable alternative for fast and confident analysis of this molecule.