Mo-Based Layered Nanostructures for the Electrochemical Sensing of Biomolecules

Mo-based layered nanostructures are two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials with outstanding characteristics and very promising electrochemical properties. These materials comprise nanosheets of molybdenum (Mo) oxides (MoO2 and MoO3), dichalcogenides (MoS2, MoSe2, MoTe2), and carbides (MoC2), which find application in electrochemical devices for energy storage and generation. In this feature paper, we present the most relevant characteristics of such Mo-based layered compounds and their use as electrode materials in electrochemical sensors. In particular, the aspects related to synthesis methods, structural and electronic characteristics, and the relevant electrochemical properties, together with applications in the specific field of electrochemical biomolecule sensing, are reviewed. The main features, along with the current status, trends, and potentialities for biomedical sensing applications, are described, highlighting the peculiar properties of Mo-based 2D-nanomaterials in this field

Fabrication of a Novel Electrochemical Sensor Based on Carbon Cloth Matrix Functionalized with MoO3 and 2D-MoS2 Layers for Riboflavin Determination

The preparation and characterization of a hybrid composite, based on carbon cloth (CC) matrix functionalized with two-dimensional (2D) MoS2 flakes and MoO3, and its use for developing an electrochemical sensor for the determination of riboflavin (RF) is here reported. The 2D-MoS2-MoO3CC composite was prepared by depositing 2D-MoS2 nanosheets, obtained by liquid phase exfoliation (LPE), on the surface of a carbon cloth fiber network, previously functionalized with a layer of molybdenum oxide (α-MoO3) by radio-frequency magnetron reactive sputtering technique. The 2D-MoS2-MoO3CC composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and Raman spectroscopy. An electrochemical sensor has been then fabricated by fixing a slice of the 2D-MoS2-MoO3CC composite on the working electrode of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). The 2D-MoS2-MoO3-CC/SPCE sensor display good electrochemical characteristics which have been exploited, for the first time, in the electroanalytical determination of riboflavin (RF). The sensitivity to RF, equal to 0.67 µA mM−1 in the linear range from 2 to 40 µM, and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.5 µM at S/N = 3, demonstrate the promising characteristics of the proposed 2D-MoS2-MoO3-CC/SPCE electrochemical sensor for the determination of riboflavin

Synthesis of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles from Rumex roseus Plant Extract and Their Application in Electrochemical Sensors

The room-temperature synthesis of silver (AgNPs) and gold (AuNPs) nanoparticles from aqueous solution of AgNO3 and HAuCl4 respectively, using Rumex roseus (RR) plant extract as a reducing agent, is reported here for the first time. The nanoparticles obtained were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The formation of nanoparticles with spherical-shaped morphology was verified by TEM and confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy through the analysis of Ag and Au plasmon resonance peak and DLS measurements. New electrochemical sensors have been developed by employing the synthesized Ag and Au nanoparticles as modifiers of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), respectively. The AgNPs-modified GCE was investigated for the electrochemical determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Further enhancement of electrochemical performances was obtained using a nanocomposite made of AgNPs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-modified GCE. The AuNPs-SPCE sensor was instead tested in the electrochemical sensing of riboflavin (RF). To our knowledge, this is the first paper reporting Rumex roseus plant extract as a source for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles and their use for developing simple, sensitive and reliable electrochemical sensors for H2O2 and RF