Universal Covalent Functionalization of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Sarin Simulant Detection.

Authors

Hao Jiang, Xiao Chang, Wei Zheng, Yongchao Zheng, Jun Shen, Haizhen Li, Xianghong Liu, Nicola Pinna, Jun Zhang

Published in

ACS sensors. Nov 10, 2026. Epub Nov 10, 2026.

Abstract

The detection of chemical warfare agents such as sarin is essential for public security, yet conventional sensors lack sufficient sensitivity for trace-level vapor detection. To address this, we developed a universal covalent functionalization approach for two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (including MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, WSe2, and In2Se3), enabling highly sensitive detection of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a sarin simulant. Using a custom-synthesized diazonium salt (4-HFBD) with KI assistance, we rapidly graft acidic groups onto inert TMD surfaces while enhancing their n-type semiconductor characteristics. This design leverages directional hydrogen bonding between the functionalized surface and DMMP, resulting in exceptional room-temperature sensitivity. The optimized MoS2 sensor achieves selective and reversible DMMP detection with a low detection limit of 42 ppb and a fast response time of 4.6 s, surpassing most reported analogues. This work provides a versatile and tunable platform for trace chemical threat detection, representing a major advance in sensing technology.

PMID:
43006776
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Nov 2026.

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