All-in-One Electrocatalyst for Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Generation, and Disease Detection

Research Summary

A team of Korean researchers has successfully developed a novel multifunctional electrocatalyst that enables hydrogen production (HER), oxygen reduction (ORR), and ultrasensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide(H₂O₂) all with a single material platform. This catalyst is composed of molybdenum disulfide(MoS₂) nanosheets anchored onto iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon nanospheres(FeNC). Through controlled synthesis involving polymer coordination and thermal treatment, a unique Mo–N/Fe–N interface was engineered, which enhances both electronic conductivity and reaction kinetics. In performance evaluations, the MoS₂/FeNC-800 catalyst demonstrated:

Related Figures

Fig. 1 Fe–polydiaminonaphthalene (Fe-pDAN) is synthesized via coordination of 1,8-DAN and FeCl₃, followed by pyrolysis to obtain FeNC. MoS₂ nanosheets are grown on FeNC via hydrothermal reaction and further pyrolyzed to form the final multifunctional catalyst, MoS₂/FeNC-800.

• ● Superior ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E₁/₂) of 0.866 V, exceeding that of commercial 20% Pt/C catalysts
• ● Outstanding HER activity with a low overpotential of 128 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² in alkaline media
• ● Excellent durability and methanol tolerance, making it suitable for practical fuel cell applications

Moreover, the catalyst displayed remarkable sensitivity in H₂O₂ detection, with a detection limit as low as 200 nM, allowing real-time monitoring of H₂O₂ released from both normal and cancerous cells. This points to its strong potential in biosensing and clinical diagnostics, especially for detecting oxidative stress and early-stage diseases such as cancer.

Fig. 2 (Left) ORR activity, (Middle) HER performance compared to control and Pt/C, (Right) Amperometric response showing sensitive H₂O₂ detection down to 0.2 μM.

The multifunctional capabilities of this catalyst achieved through a synergistic combination of phase engineering, heteroatom doping, and interfacial charge modulation highlight its promise as a next-generation material for sustainable energy conversion and biomedical sensing. The results were published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2025), emphasizing the feasibility of scalable, low-cost alternatives to precious metal catalysts like platinum.