Emerging Considerations for the Future Development of Electrochemical Paper-Based Analytical Devices

Meeting the current needs for easier, more precise and faster analyses that also follow the principles of green analytical chemistry requires novel analytical chemistry strategies. Since the appearance in this century of the first device based on a paper platform, many studies have been presented in the literature, providing a wide range of designs and possibilities for the application of paper platforms to electroanalytical systems. This Review gives an overview of the field and can pave the way for the future development of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices. We also present a critical point of view regarding what has been investigated and developed and what is still missing. This Review discusses the efforts made in the field related to important topics such as the choice of the paper substrate, the device construction process, the characterization of the device, and applications in different areas. In this way, we indicate some steps necessary for optimizing the design of the devices, with a focus on multidisciplinary collaborations that could move entire systems from the bench of the laboratory to the field.