Sustainable Printed Electrochemical Platforms for Greener Analytics
Patrick Severin Sfragano1, Serena Laschi2, Ilaria Palchetti1
1Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|August 28, 2020
Summary
This review explores sustainable printing technologies and eco-friendly materials for fabricating electrochemical sensors. It highlights methods like screen-printing and 3D-printing using biodegradable materials for greener analytics.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Miniaturized electrochemical platforms are vital for in situ analysis across clinical, environmental, food, and forensic fields.
- Sustainable material selection is critical to reduce waste and environmental impact in device production and usage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review eco-friendly printing technologies for electrochemical sensor fabrication.
- To discuss low-impact materials suitable for sustainable sensor development.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of established printing techniques: screen-printing, inkjet-printing, and 3D-printing.
- Identification and discussion of emerging sustainable materials like polylactic acid, cellulose, silk proteins, and biochar.
Main Results:
- Printing technologies offer versatile methods for electrochemical sensor production.
- Several biodegradable and renewable materials show promise for environmentally conscious sensor fabrication.
Conclusions:
- Adopting green printing techniques and materials is essential for reducing the environmental footprint of electrochemical sensors.
- Future research should focus on optimizing these sustainable approaches for widespread application in greener analytics.
