Nickel foam-loaded Co-MOF@TiO₂/MoS₂ as electrode materials for dual-function devices for glucose detection and hydrogen evolution

Dual-functional nanomaterial electrodes have the capability to satisfy the requirements for both sweat analysis and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), thereby enabling the integration of electrochemical sensing and hydrogen production. In this study, ZIF-67 cubes are synthesized on nickel foam (NF), while TiO₂ is obtained through an annealing process. Subsequently, the ZIF-67@TiO₂/MoS₂ nanocomposite is fabricated on nickel foam via a hydrothermal method. This composite material exhibits exceptional photocatalytic properties and is also suitable for the detection of glucose in sweat. The glucose detection range spans from 10 nM to 10 mM with a sensitivity of 7.24 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and a detection limit of 0.43 μM. Moreover, when utilized as a hydrogen evolution electrode, this material demonstrates a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 118 mV, with a Tafel slope of 73 mV/dec. The synthesis process is both straightforward and economical. This research introduces a novel concept for the design of multifunctional chemical sensors. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2024.