3D printed graphite-based electrode coupled with batch injection analysis: An affordable high-throughput strategy for...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Development of cost-effective and customizable electrodes is crucial for advanced analytical techniques.
• 3D printing offers a versatile platform for fabricating customized electrochemical sensors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a novel 3D-printed electrode using a lab-made graphite/polylactic acid (Grp/PLA) filament.
• To evaluate the electrochemical performance of the Grp/PLA electrode against a commercial carbon black/polylactic acid (CB/PLA) electrode.
• To develop and validate a batch injection analysis with amperometric detection (BIA-AD) method for atorvastatin (ATR) determination using the 3D-printed electrode.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Grp/PLA filament and 3D printing of cylindrical electrodes.
• Material characterization using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
• Electrochemical performance evaluation through charge transfer resistance (Rct) and kinetic rate constant (K0) measurements.
• Development of a BIA-AD method for ATR quantification in pharmaceutical and water samples.

Main Results:

• The 3D-printed Grp/PLA electrode exhibited a more kinetically favored reaction and lower charge transfer resistance than the treated CB/PLA electrode.
• The BIA-AD method using the Grp/PLA electrode achieved a wider linear range (1-200 μmol L⁻¹), higher sensitivity (3x), and a lower detection limit (0.13 μmol L⁻¹) for ATR.
• High precision (RSD <7.3%) and accuracy (83-108% recovery) were demonstrated for ATR determination.
• This marks the first instance of ATR determination using BIA-AD with a low-cost 3D-printed device.

Conclusions:

• The lab-made Grp/PLA filament is suitable for 3D printing functional electrodes.
• The 3D-printed Grp/PLA electrode offers enhanced electrochemical performance for analytical applications.
• The developed BIA-AD method with the 3D-printed electrode is a promising, low-cost approach for pharmaceutical quality control and environmental monitoring.