Electrochemical Sensor for Methamphetamine Detection Using Laser-Induced Porous Graphene Electrode

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Developing sensitive and portable detection methods for illicit substances like methamphetamine is crucial for public safety.
• Existing detection methods often require complex laboratory equipment or lack portability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile, cost-effective, and scalable method for fabricating flexible porous graphene electrodes.
• To evaluate the performance of these electrodes for the detection of methamphetamine (MA) in diverse sample matrices.

Main Methods:

• A 3D porous graphene structure was directly laser-induced from Kapton tape using a CO2 laser.
• A flexible laser-induced porous graphene (LI-PGr) electrode was fabricated in a one-step process without reagents or solvents.
• Material characterization was performed using SEM, EDX, and Raman spectroscopy.
• The LI-PGr electrode was integrated into a portable electrochemical sensor for MA detection.

Main Results:

• The LI-PGr electrode exhibited excellent material properties and morphology.
• The electrochemical sensor demonstrated a linear detection range for MA from 1.00 to 30.0 µg mL⁻¹.
• A low detection limit of 0.31 µg mL⁻¹ was achieved with good reproducibility (RSD of 2.50%) and excellent anti-interference capabilities.
• The sensor successfully detected MA on household surfaces and in saliva samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed one-step laser-induced fabrication method is scalable, cost-effective, and suitable for producing flexible graphene electrodes.
• The LI-PGr electrode-based portable electrochemical sensor offers a promising solution for sensitive and precise methamphetamine detection in real-world applications.