Revealing Redox Behavior of Molybdenum Disulfide and Its Application as Rechargeable Antioxidant Reservoir.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS) is a representative two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide and has a unique electronic structure and associated physicochemical properties. The redox property of MoS has recently attracted significant attention from various fields, such as biomedical applications. Intriguingly, MoS functions as an antioxidant in certain applications and as a pro-oxidant in others. We use the mediated electrochemical probing method to understand the redox behavior of MoS. This method reveals that MoS (i) has a reversible and fast redox activity at a mild potential (between -0.20 and +0.25 V vs Ag/AgCl), (ii) functions as an antioxidant for molecules that have different redox mechanisms (electron or hydrogen atom transfer), and (iii) is electrochemically or molecularly rechargeable. Finally, we show that MoS reduces oxidized molecules more efficiently than the potent natural antioxidant, curcumin. This study enhances our understanding of MoS and shows its potential as an advanced antioxidant reservoir.