Photoelectrochemical Sensors with Near-Infrared-Responsive Reduced Graphene Oxide and MoS2 for Quantification of Escherichia Coli O157:H7

The photoelectric response is crucial for photo catalysis, having applications in solar cells and photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors. In this study, we demonstrate improvements in the near-infrared (NIR)-light-driven PEC response via synergism between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and MoS2. Intriguingly, rGO modulates the morphology of MoS2, facilitating carrier generation and migration, improving the PEC performance of the resultant rGO-MoS2 sheets (GMS), and yielding an approximately 8 fold increase in the photocurrent compared to that of the pure MoS2. Based on these findings, a NIR-responsive PEC immunosensing platform for the turn-on analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on 980 nm light irradiation is reported. Specifically, the device is a threedimensional magnetic screen-printed paper-based electrode assembled on a home-made PEC cell, and it enables integrated separation and detection. Using a sandwich-type immunocomplex bridged by E. coli O157:H7 and a GMS PEC probe, the immunosensing platform detected E. coli O157:H7 between 5.0 and 5.0 x 10(6) CFU mL(-1), having an extremely low detection limit of 2.0 CFU mL(-1). Further, the assay enables the direct analysis of E. coli O157:H7 in milk without the need for pretreatment. Our findings suggest directions for the development of NIR-responsive paper-based PEC materials for portable biomolecule sensing.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates improvements in the near-infrared light-driven photoelectrochemical response through the synergism between reduced graphene oxide and MoS2. Based on these findings, a NIR-responsive immunosensing platform for the analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is developed.