Laser-assisted surface activation for fabrication of flexible non-enzymatic Cu-based sensors

A rapid and effective technique has been develped for the fabrication of sensor-active copper-based materials on the surface of such flexible polymers as terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polyimide using the method of laser surface modification. For this purpose, we optimized the polymer surface activation parameters using laser sources with a picosecond pulse duration for subsequent selective metallization within the activated region. Furthermore, the fabricated copper structures were modified with gold nanostructures and by electrochemical passivation to produce copper-gold and oxide-containing copper species, respectively. As a result, in comparison with pure copper electrodes, these composite materials exhibit much better electrocatalytic performance concerning the non-enzymatic identification of biologically important disease markers such as glucose, hydrogen peroxide, and dopamine.

Automated summary

A technique utilizing laser surface modification has been developed to fabricate sensor-active copper-based materials on flexible polymer surfaces. By optimizing the activation parameters of the polymer surface, selective metallization within the activated region is achieved. The electrocatalytic performance of these composite materials is significantly improved by modifying the copper structures with gold nanostructures and electrochemical passivation, leading to enhanced non-enzymatic identification of biologically important disease markers.