A Facile Graphene Conductive Polymer Paper Based Biosensor for Dopamine, TNF-α, and IL-6 Detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Paper-based biosensors offer a promising platform for sensitive, simple, and affordable biomolecule detection.
• Graphene and conductive polymers are advanced materials with unique electrochemical properties beneficial for biosensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel graphene conductive polymer paper-based sensor (GCPPS) for sensitive and selective detection of biomolecules.
• To evaluate the performance of GCPPS for detecting dopamine and key cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6).

Main Methods:

• Uniform dispersion of graphene and conductive polymer ink using planetary mixing.
• Application of ink onto laser-cut Whatman filter paper substrates to create GCPPS.
• Characterization using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy; electrochemical detection of analytes.

Main Results:

• GCPPS demonstrated strong attachment of functionalized graphene to cellulose fibers.
• Sensitive detection ranges achieved for dopamine (12.5–400 µM), TNF-α (0.005–50 ng/mL), and IL-6 (2 pg/mL–2 µg/mL) with 2 µL sample volume.
• Low limits of detection (LODs) were obtained: 3.4 µM for dopamine, 5.97 pg/mL for TNF-α, and 9.55 pg/mL for IL-6.

Conclusions:

• GCPPS exhibits high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability for biomarker detection.
• The developed paper-based biosensors are suitable for rapid, point-of-care diagnostics in healthcare applications due to their portability and minimal sample requirements.
• GCPPS shows potential for detecting IL-6 antigen in human serum, indicating clinical applicability.