Programmable Electrohydrodynamic Printing of Pt-CNTs Nanointerfaces via In Situ Thermal Regulation for High-Fidelity...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Accurate simultaneous detection of uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA) is crucial for clinical diagnostics but challenging with conventional electrodes due to limited sensitivity and selectivity.
• Existing methods often struggle to achieve the required precision and reproducibility for reliable biosensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-resolution fabrication strategy for platinum-carbon nanotube (Pt-CNTs) nanoarchitectures using programmable electrohydrodynamic (E-Jet) printing with in situ thermal regulation.
• To optimize the printing process using a machine-learning model for precise control over feature sizes and ensure exceptional reproducibility.
• To investigate the electrochemical properties and interfacial mechanisms of the fabricated Pt-CNTs structures for enhanced UA and DA detection.

Main Methods:

• Programmable electrohydrodynamic (E-Jet) printing with integrated in situ thermal regulation for fabricating Pt-CNTs nanoarchitectures.
• Machine-learning model for synergistic optimization and precise control of printed feature dimensions.
• Molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the origin of enhanced electrochemical activity and interfacial charge transfer.
• Electrochemical characterization for simultaneous detection of UA and DA, assessing sensitivity, selectivity, and performance in complex matrices.

Main Results:

• High-resolution Pt-CNTs nanoarchitectures were fabricated with micrometre precision and exceptional reproducibility.
• Molecular dynamics simulations revealed efficient charge transfer due to strong Pt-CNTs interfacial coupling, enhancing electrochemical activity.
• The developed sensor demonstrated ultrasensitive and selective simultaneous detection of UA and DA, with detection limits of 0.08 μM and 0.1 μM, respectively.
• A >50% sensitivity enhancement was achieved, with robust performance observed in serum and across physiological pH ranges.

Conclusions:

• A closed-loop methodology integrating programmable printing, data-driven optimization, and mechanistic simulation was established for rational design of advanced electrochemical interfaces.
• The developed Pt-CNTs nanoarchitecture-based sensor offers a significant advancement for ultrasensitive and selective simultaneous detection of UA and DA in clinical diagnostics.
• This approach paves the way for the development of next-generation biosensors with enhanced performance and reliability.