Cobalt functionalized MoS2/carbon nanotubes scaffold for enzyme-free glucose detection with extremely low detection limit

Abstract A facile one-step hydrothermal route is developed for synthesizing ternary cobalt functionalized MoS2/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) scaffold. In this study, we demonstrate this architecture possesses enhanced catalytic activity towards electrooxidation of glucose. The fabricated enzyme-free amperometric glucose sensor exhibits high sensitivity and a wide linear range of biologically relevant concentrations, with extremely low detection limit of 80 nM, which is at least 1˜2 order of magnitude lower than previously reported. Meanwhile, this sensor also shows satisfactory selectivity when exposed to interfering species, such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, etc. The superior electrochemical sensing performances are resulted from the synergistic effect provided by MoS2 nanosheets and dispersed cobalt oxides dopping effect. What’s more, the highly conductive CNTs substrate offers open channels for electrolyte penetration and charge transfer, contributing substantially to the low detection limit. Our study offers an effective strategy for designing and constructing multicomponent non-enzymatic glucose sensor by combining highly-active transition metal compounds with stable carbon substrates.