Au – MoS2 nanoflowers sensors on interdigitated electrode for monitoring human respiration

Abstract

Respiratory sensors are emerging as powerful tools for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of breathing patterns. These sensors hold immense potential for applications in various healthcare scenarios. In this paper, we report a novel transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC’s) based respiratory sensor that exhibits high resistivity, fast response, and excellent flexibility. TMDC turned out to be the most suited of all materials as they offer tunable bandgap with wider surface area resulting in higher sensitivity to specific targets. MoS2 (Molybdenum Disulfide), a TMDC, has emerged as a promising material for developing next-generation respiratory sensing devices while its hybrids with Au nanoparticles enhances the electrical conductivity of the sensor, providing better performance than either material alone. This paper explores the potential advantages of Au-MoS2 based sensors for respiratory monitoring applications. In context to that, present work focuses on the resistivity and flexibility of hybrids for respiratory sensing. The MoS2 nanoflowers are synthesized by hydrothermal method further using inert gas deposition method for the decoration of Au nanoparticles over MoS2. To form Au-MoS2 hybrids, Au nanoparticles were decorated over MoS2 using inert gas deposition. The crystallinity of the hybrids is studied using Raman Spectroscopy and x-ray Diffraction techniques. The morphology of the samples was studied through scanning electron transmission (SEM) while Au nanoparticles were detected on the edges of MoS2 by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The interfacial electronic interaction and binding energies were detected using x–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The study tested a respiratory sensor in a simulated environment, finding it more responsive to breathing and quick to return to rest. This suggests potential for the Au-MoS2 sensor in tracking breath states due to its sensitivity and adaptability, promising applications across various fields. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.