All-in-Fiber Electrochemical Sensing

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• High-throughput printing technologies enable electrochemical sensors but are limited to 2D geometries and larger feature sizes.
• Existing methods lack scalability and novel architectures for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop scalable, fiber-based electrochemical sensors with customizable architectures.
• To demonstrate the fabrication and performance of these novel electrochemical devices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized multimaterial thermal drawing to co-process polymer composites and metallic glass.
• Created electroactive and pseudoreference electrodes embedded within an insulating polymer cladding fiber.
• Fabricated two configurations: fiber tip sensor and capillary cell sensor.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated monolithically integrated electrochemical devices with fiber-based architectures.
• Demonstrated direct detection and quantification of paracetamol using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry.
• Showcased a portable analyzer with an "electrochemical pipet tip" for microliter-volume analysis.

Conclusions:

• The thermal drawing technique enables scalable fabrication of novel fiber-based electrochemical sensors.
• These sensors offer versatile architectures for efficient electrochemical sensing in various applications.
• The developed technology paves the way for advanced personal care and surgical diagnostic tools.