Antibacterial Ag-PET flexible electrode via silver-mirror reaction with MOF Cu-BTC for sweat uric acid sensing

Currently, wearable health monitors face challenges such as complex manufacturing processes, trade-offs between flexibility and performance, limited multimodal integration, and issues like low sensitivity, high detection limits, and susceptibility to interference. To address these issues, we present a high-performance, antibacterial wearable sweat sensor based on a flexible Ag/PET electrode fabricated via a silver mirror reaction. Surface pretreatment with carboxyl groups optimizes silver nanoparticle distribution, resulting in excellent conductivity, mechanical stability, and efficient 3D sweat collection. The electrode is further functionalized with Cu-BTC through electrochemical cathodic deposition. The constructed sensors demonstrate high sensitivity for uric acid (32.4 μA mM^-1 cm²) detection in artificial sweat (pH 5.5), with a wide linear range (10-300 μM), a low detection limit (1 μM), and strong anti-interference capability against common metabolites (the inhibition rate of over 62.3% and 75.5%). Moreover, the MOF-modified electrode exhibits significant antibacterial activity, achieving over 99% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli through Ag⁺ release, thereby preventing bacterial contamination and ensuring long-term signal stability. The sensor is highly customizable via laser engraving and easily integrable, showing great potential for personalized healthcare and real-time sports monitoring. This work provides an innovative integrated strategy for advanced flexible electrochemical sensors, paving the way for the development of reliable smart wearable devices in health management.