Structure and Electrochemical Properties of ReS2-LaFeO3 Nanocomposite for Dopamine Sensing

Abstract

This study presents the first investigation of a ReS₂-LaFeO₃ nanocomposite for the electrochemical detection of dopamine (DA). ReS₂-LaFeO₃ nanocomposites (5%, 10%, and 20% ReS₂ by weight) are synthesized hydrothermally on porous LaFeO₃ nanofibers prepared via electrospinning and annealing. The resulting materials are thoroughly characterized using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Electrochemical DA detection (0.02 µm – 1 mm) is performed using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and chronoamperometry (CA). The 10 wt.% ReS₂-LaFeO₃ nanocomposite demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving a high sensitivity of 0.191 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻². In comparison, LaFeO₃, 5 wt.% ReS₂-LaFeO₃, 20 wt.% ReS₂-LaFeO₃, and pristine ReS₂ exhibit limits of detection (LODs) of 281, 357,187, and 120 µm, with corresponding sensitivities of 0.191, 0.156, 0.181, 0.183 µA µM⁻¹ cm⁻², respectively. The representative 10 wt.% ReS₂-LaFeO₃ nanocomposite exhibits good selectivity and detection performance, as confirmed by tests with 1 mm concentrations of common analytes in biological relevant chemicals such as uric acid (UA), sodium chloride (NaCl), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and ascorbic acid (AA). Furthermore, it shows varying response toward other neurotransmitters like epinephrine (EP) ad norepinephrine (NEP). The results of this investigation show that ReS₂ decoration on LaFeO₃ enhances the nanocomposite's physical, chemical, and electrical properties, leading to improved charge separation and reliable DA sensing in complex biological samples.