Advanced Solid State Nano-Electrochemical Sensors and System for Agri 4.0 Applications.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Global food production must increase to meet rising population demands, necessitating improved resource efficiency.
• Current monitoring techniques in agriculture face limitations in portability, speed, and reagent dependency.
• Digitalization of the agri-food sector requires advanced, on-site sensing solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile micro- and nano-scale electrochemical sensing platform for the agri-food sector.
• To demonstrate the platform's capability for direct detection of various analytes, including pesticides, nitrates, and pathogens.
• To integrate the sensor with portable electronics and a smartphone application for end-to-end smart sensing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of micro- and nano-scale electrode devices for electrochemical sensing.
• Direct electrochemical detection of pesticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid) and nitrates.
• Development of an in-situ pH control technique using interdigitated electrode structures.
• Modification of sensors with bio-molecular probes for virus and antibody detection.
• Integration of sensor chip with a portable analogue front-end electronic reader and smartphone application.

Main Results:

• Achieved detection limits of 0.22 ng/mL for clothianidin, 2.14 ng/mL for imidacloprid, and 0.2 µM for nitrates.
• Successfully applied in-situ pH control for monochloramine analysis.
• Demonstrated biosensing of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) species and antibodies within a 1 ng/mL to 10 µg/mL range.
• Developed a fully functional, portable smart sensor system for digital agri-food decision support.

Conclusions:

• The developed electrochemical sensing platform offers a portable and efficient solution for diverse agri-food monitoring applications.
• The system's ability to detect multiple analytes and integrate with digital tools supports enhanced resource management and food safety.
• This technology paves the way for advanced digital decision support systems in the agri-food industry.