Flexible Electromagnetic Sensor with Inkjet-Printed Silver Nanoparticles on PET Substrate for Chemical and Biomedical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Flexible electronic sensors offer advantages in portability and adaptability for various applications.
• Electromagnetic sensors are valuable tools for non-invasive chemical and biochemical analysis.
• Inkjet printing provides a low-cost, scalable fabrication method for electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the performance of a low-cost, compact, and flexible inkjet-printed electromagnetic sensor.
• To evaluate the sensor's capability in estimating concentrations of chemicals (ethanol, methanol) and a biochemical (hydrocortisone).
• To enhance sensor sensitivity by optimizing the operating frequency range.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a flexible electromagnetic sensor using inkjet printing.
• Utilized a vector network analyzer (VNA) and Agilent 85070E Dielectric Probe Kit for dielectric property measurements.
• Tested sensor response to varying concentrations of ethanol, methanol, and hydrocortisone within the 0.5-4 GHz frequency range.

Main Results:

• The sensor exhibited a resonant frequency of 2.2 GHz without samples.
• A consistent shift in resonant frequency was observed with changes in chemical concentrations.
• The sensor demonstrated decent sensitivity, comparable to non-flexible counterparts, with simulation and measurement results in agreement.

Conclusions:

• The developed flexible inkjet-printed electromagnetic sensor shows significant potential for chemical and biomedical applications.
• The sensor's performance is comparable to existing non-flexible sensor technologies.
• This technology offers a low-cost, adaptable solution for real-time monitoring in healthcare and chemical industries.