title: Potentiometric sensors using cotton yarns, carbon nanotubes and polymeric membranes.
abstract: A simple and generalized approach to build electrochemical sensors for wearable devices is presented. Commercial cotton yarns are first turned into electrical conductors through a simple dyeing process using a carbon nanotube ink. These conductive yarns are then partially coated with a suitable polymeric membrane to build ion-selective electrodes. Potentiometric measurements using these yarn-potentiometric sensors are demonstrated. Examples of yarns that can sense pH, K(+) and NH4(+) are presented. In all cases, these sensing yarns show limits of detection and linear ranges that are similar to those obtained with lab-made solid-state ion-selective electrodes. Through the immobilization of these sensors in a band-aid, it is shown that this approach could be easily implemented in a wearable device. Factors affecting the performance of the sensors and future potential applications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Analítica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrer Marcel-li Domingo s/n, 43007 Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Tomàs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guinovart
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parrilla
authors.forename: Gastón A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Crespo
authors.forename: F Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Rius
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D004566:Electrodes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011199:Potentiometry
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011108:Polymers