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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube High-Frequency Nanoelectronic Biosensor for Sensing in High Ionic Strength Solutions
Published on: July 22, 2013
Low-cost, transparent, and flexible single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite based ion-sensitive field-effect
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, 111 Church Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Abstract:
Low-cost, transparent, and flexible ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) are presented as pH and glucose sensors. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and poly(diallyldimethyammonium chloride, PDDA) are deposited by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly between two metallic electrodes patterned on a polyethylene terephthalate substrate. The pH ISFETs are characterized based on the fact that the electronic conductance of SWCNTs nanocomposite is determined by molecular protonation/deprotonation of carboxylic groups on SWCNTs and by the external Ag/AgCl reference gate voltage. Glucose is detected by the local pH change in the vicinity of SWCNTs with the aid of glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme. The glucose sensor shows a sensitivity of 18-45 microA/mM on a linear range of 2-10 mM. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant is 14.2 mM, indicating a high affinity of LbL assembled GOx to glucose. The LbL self-assembly of nanomaterials and enzymes on the transparent and flexible substrate suggests various chemical and biological sensors suitable for in vivo application.

