Controlled Preparation of Co9S8 for Small Molecule Sensing Platform

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Cobalt sulfides are promising materials for electrochemical applications.
• Developing efficient synthesis methods is crucial for optimizing material properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and compare cobalt sulfides using different methods.
• To investigate the electrochemical sensing capabilities of the synthesized materials for hydrogen peroxide and glucose.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of cobalt sulfides with varying atomic ratios via two distinct methods.
• Electrochemical testing for performance evaluation.
• Physical characterization of synthesized materials.

Main Results:

• The optimal material identified was cobalt-9-sulfide-8 (Co9S8) with a pompon-like morphology.
• Pompon-like Co9S8 exhibited a large specific surface area (45.46 m2 g-1), providing abundant active sites.
• The sensor demonstrated sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide (limit of detection 0.45 μM) and glucose (sensitivity 185.32 μA mM-1 cm-2).

Conclusions:

• The pompon-like Co9S8 material is highly effective for electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide and glucose.
• The synthesized Co9S8 sensors show excellent selectivity, stability, and reproducibility.
• This study highlights the potential of tailored cobalt sulfide nanostructures in biosensing applications.