Tailoring 3D-printed sensor properties with reduced-graphene oxide: improved conductive filaments

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Development of advanced materials for electrochemical sensors is crucial for sensitive analyte detection.
• Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon black (CB) are promising additives for enhancing electrode conductivity.
• Polylactic acid (PLA) offers a biodegradable matrix for fabricating sensor components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tailored filament incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon black (CB) within a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix.
• To fabricate and characterize electrochemical sensors using this novel filament.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance in detecting forensic analytes, specifically TNT and cocaine.

Main Methods:

• Filament extrusion with a composite of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), carbon black (CB), and polylactic acid (PLA).
• Fabrication of electrochemical sensor electrodes using the developed filament.
• Physicochemical and electrochemical characterization (e.g., conductivity, charge transfer resistance).
• Electrochemical detection of TNT and cocaine using the fabricated electrodes.

Main Results:

• Successful incorporation of rGO and CB into the PLA matrix, confirmed by characterization.
• Electrodes with rGO exhibited enhanced conductivity and lower charge transfer resistance compared to those without rGO.
• The rGO-containing electrodes demonstrated superior performance for TNT and cocaine detection, with significantly lower limits of detection.
• Improved sensitivity and better-defined redox peaks were observed for both analytes when using rGO-enhanced electrodes.

Conclusions:

• The developed rGO-CB-PLA filament is suitable for producing high-performance electrochemical sensors.
• The inclusion of rGO significantly enhances electrode conductivity and analytical performance.
• These sensors show great potential for the sensitive and selective detection of forensic analytes like TNT and cocaine.