Construction of GO/MoS2/TiO2 ternary heterojunction interfaces for synergistically enhanced electrochemical sensing of acetaminophen

Rational Interface Engineering: We successfully synthesized a GO/MoS 2 /TiO 2 ternary nanocomposite with carefully engineered heterojunction interfaces. This structure not only prevents the restacking of MoS 2 and aggregation of TiO 2 but also facilitates efficient charge separation and accelerates electron transfer rates compared to single or binary counterparts. • Significant Synergistic Enhancement: Rather than simply mixing components, our design yields a substantial improvement in electrochemical performance. The sensor exhibits a 2-fold increase in current response and a significantly lower detection limit compared to the individual MoS 2 electrodes. This result strongly validates the effectiveness of our interface engineering strategy in overcoming the intrinsic limitations of single-component materials. • Self-Cleaning and Anti-Fouling Capability: A distinct advantage of our ternary system is its excellent anti-fouling property. The incorporation of TiO 2 endows the sensor with self-cleaning capabilities (attributed to its photocatalytic activity/surface properties), effectively mitigating electrode passivation caused by the adsorption of oxidation products. This ensures superior operational stability and reproducibility, addressing a common bottleneck in APAP detection. • Practical Robustness: We successfully applied the sensor to the determination of acetaminophen in real pharmaceutical tablets and water samples with satisfactory recovery rates, proving its potential for practical applications in complex matrices. Efficient detection of acetaminophen (APAP) is critical for public health and environmental safety, but traditional electrochemical sensors often suffer from severe electrode passivation and ambiguous interfacial sensing mechanisms.To address these challenges, To address these fundamental challenges, this study constructs a novel photo-assisted electrochemical platform based on a GO/MoS 2 /TiO 2 ternary heterojunction, systematically characterized via XRD, TEM, FTIR, and XPS. Explicitly shifting the focus from conventional metric-chasing (e.g., pursuing extreme detection limits) to rational material design, this work thoroughly elucidates the structure–activity relationship and underlying synergistic mechanisms through comprehensive kinetic investigations (e.g., CV, EIS, and DPV). Experimental results demonstrate that the strategically designed cascaded band structure significantly boosts electrocatalytic activity and interfacial charge transfer. Furthermore, by leveraging the distinct structural advantages of the distinct structural advantages of GO/MoS 2 alongside the photo-assisted properties of TiO 2 , the sensor achieves a dual-mode “anti-fouling and self-cleaning” capability that effectively resolves surface fouling caused by oxidation products. Consequently, the sensor exhibits robust performance with a detection limit of 0.07 µM (S/N = 3) and three wide linear response ranges (7.865∼12.155 µM, 12.155∼71.5 µM and 71.5∼715 µM). Ultimately, this systematic study provides not only a robust platform for real-world APAP monitoring but also a theoretical blueprint for designing next-generation, passivation-resistant sensing interfaces. A photo-assisted GO/MoS 2 /TiO 2 ternary heterojunction sensor was constructed for ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of acetaminophen with enhanced charge transfer and excellent anti-fouling performance.(This graphical abstract was generated using AI tools) Download: Download high-res image (252KB) Download: Download full-size image