MoS₂-intercalated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene heterostructures enabling high-performance non-enzymatic cholesterol sensing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Non-enzymatic cholesterol sensors are crucial for disease diagnosis and food safety.
• Developing stable and sensitive materials for accurate cholesterol detection remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a Ti3C2Tx MXene/MoS2 heterostructure for enhanced non-enzymatic cholesterol sensing.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance, sensitivity, selectivity, and stability of the developed sensor.

Main Methods:

• In-situ hydrothermal growth to synthesize the Ti3C2Tx MXene/MoS2 heterostructure.
• Structural and chemical analysis using advanced characterization techniques.
• Electrochemical measurements to assess sensing performance, including sensitivity, limit of detection, and selectivity.

Main Results:

• The Ti3C2Tx MXene/MoS2 (1:1) heterostructure demonstrated improved electrochemical properties compared to pristine materials.
• The sensor achieved high sensitivity (268.6 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻² at 0.1–1 µM and 0.28 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻² at 1–200 µM) and a low limit of detection (25 nM).
• The sensor exhibited excellent selectivity, reproducibility, flexibility, long-term stability (30 days), and high recovery rates in real samples (egg yolk).

Conclusions:

• The Ti3C2Tx MXene/MoS2 heterostructure is a promising material for developing robust and high-performance non-enzymatic cholesterol sensors.
• This material design offers a viable framework for advanced biosensing applications in biomedical and food industries.
• The developed sensor provides a reliable and efficient method for cholesterol detection without the need for enzymatic components.