Research Projects

There has been an exponential escalation of research on layered two-dimensional (2D) materials, with the isolation of graphene in 2004, for applications ranging from protective coatings to biochemical sensing. It has been observed that they can assist as an active sensing element or as a supportive substrate for varied healthcare applications owing to their distinctive and tunable physical, electrical, optical, and electrochemical properties. It has been established that 2D materials-based sensors could detect a considerably lower concentration of bio-medically relevant analytes as compared to the updated point-of-care (PoC) devices. Although significant progress has been made for the non-enzymatic detection of glucose using 2D materials, challenges persist in recognition at neutral pH. The issue regarding the pH of the solution should be addressed in case 2D materials has to act as a sensing element without modification via exquisite metals or enzymes. One potential method regarding this is to concentrate on 2D material hybrids utilizing transition metal redox centers. Notably, breaking of bonds and electron transfer can be facilitated via unfilled d-orbital of transition metals. Thus, fabricating highly sensitive 2D material hybrids can permit an amusing variety of sensing capabilities, such as multiplexed detection. However, a low-cost and controlled synthesis route is a central issue of any 2D-biosensor to compete with prevailing technologies. Due to the requirement of high-temperature processing, prevailing synthesis method, such as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), providing minimal sample-to-sample variations has compatibility issues with polymeric flexible substrates. This results in transferring of 2D layers after it has been grown on a separate substrate. The contemporary transfer approaches are exceedingly challenging for high-throughput device fabrication, exclusively without generating wrinkles and/or defects. Thus, improving/demonstrating the scalability and uniformity of transfer methods economically or enabling synthesis directly onto the substrate, hence heading towards low-temperature synthesis, is a significant research goal. In addition, recent studies continue to push for flexible 2D materials-based biosensors taking advantage of the augmented mechanical properties and sustainability in ultrathin structures. In summary, this project aims to design and develop electrochemical nano-biosensors employing nano-engineered 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) materials prepared by low-temperature synthesis techniques such as electrochemical deposition and solvothermal with high yield and low environmental impact to prepare nanoengineered 2D material hybrids for flexible nonenzymatic biosensing applications.