Flexible Continuous Sweat Glucose Electrochemical Sensor Based on Ni/Co-MOF@PPSF

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Continuous glucose monitoring is crucial for diabetes management.
• Existing methods often require invasive procedures or lack reliability in real-world conditions.
• Development of noninvasive, flexible sensors for sweat glucose monitoring is highly desirable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible, noninvasive electrochemical sensor for continuous sweat glucose monitoring.
• To utilize nickel/cobalt metal-organic framework (Ni/Co-MOF) nanosheets for enhanced sensor performance.
• To create a wearable sensor platform adaptable to human skin and body conditions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ni/Co-MOF nanosheets via a solvent-thermal approach.
• Fabrication of a flexible substrate using oil-based polyurethane (OPU) coated on polypropylene spun-bonded nonwoven fabric (PPSF).
• Screen printing of silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) and conductive carbon (C) pastes, followed by immobilization of Ni-Co/MOF nanosheets using Nafion.

Main Results:

• The Ni/Co-MOF@OPU/PPSF sensor demonstrated high electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation.
• Achieved high sensitivity (159.9 μA/mM·cm²), low limit of detection (2 μM), and a wide linear monitoring range (10 μM-1 mM).
• Exhibited excellent selectivity against interfering substances in sweat, good mechanical flexibility under bending, and stable performance across different body temperatures.

Conclusions:

• The developed flexible glucose sensor shows significant potential for continuous, noninvasive monitoring of glucose in human sweat.
• The sensor's properties make it suitable for integration into intelligent wearable devices for personal diabetes management.
• This work presents a promising advancement in wearable electrochemical sensing technology for health monitoring.