Complete Additively Manufactured (3D-Printed) Electrochemical Sensing Platform

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Conventional electrochemical sensors often involve complex fabrication processes and expensive materials.
• There is a growing need for accessible and customizable sensing platforms in various analytical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a completely additively manufactured (AM) electrochemical sensing platform.
• To evaluate the performance of this 3D-printed system for detecting model analytes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a low-cost fused deposition modeling 3D printer to fabricate both conductive electrodes and the electrochemical cell.
• Developed conductive electrodes using a carbon black/polylactic acid filament and a pseudo-reference electrode with silver ink.
• Optimized working electrode performance through polishing and electrochemical activation in NaOH solution.

Main Results:

• The AM electrochemical system showed excellent performance for detecting dopamine, with high repeatability (RSD = 0.4%) and a low limit of detection (0.1 μmol L⁻¹).
• Electrochemical activation significantly improved the sensitivity and voltammetric response for various model analytes.
• The performance was comparable or superior to commercial glassy carbon and screen-printed carbon electrodes.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing offers a viable and cost-effective approach for creating complete electrochemical sensing platforms.
• The developed 3D-printed sensor represents a significant advancement for analytical chemistry applications.
• This technology enables rapid prototyping and customization of electrochemical devices.