Inkjet-printed paper-based electrochemical sensor with gold nano-ink for detection of glucose in blood serum

Herein, an inkjet-printed paper electrode (PPE) with gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-ink as a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for detection of glucose in blood serum is reported. In this work, a green method is used for the synthesis of the aqueous AuNP-ink and the electrode is fabricated on a paper substrate using an office desktop inkjet-printer. The developed AuNP-ink is stable and has a surface tension and viscosity of 70.2 mN m(-1) and 2.1 mPa s (2% aqueous AuNP ink). The PPE with AuNPs is sintered at 100 degrees C for 30 min to obtain a conductive film for electrochemical sensing. The prepared AuNP-PPE is employed as a working electrode in cyclic voltammetry (CV) for the sensitive measurement of glucose in blood serum. The fabricated AuNP-PPE demonstrated excellent electrochemical activity and rapid electron transfer kinetics towards the oxidation of glucose. A wide linear range, 0.05-35 mM, with a limit of detection of 10 mu M is observed for the determination of glucose. The advantages of using the AuNP-PPE in electrochemical measurements are that it is flexible, user-friendly, biodegradable, economic and enzyme-free with respect to the commercially available electrochemical sensors.

Automated summary

An inkjet-printed paper electrode with gold nanoparticle ink was developed as a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for detecting glucose in blood serum. The electrode showed excellent electrochemical activity, rapid electron transfer kinetics, a wide linear range for glucose measurement, and a low detection limit. The advantages of using the electrode in electrochemical measurements include flexibility, user-friendliness, biodegradability, cost-effectiveness, and enzyme-free characteristics compared to commercially available sensors.