Rubber-based substrates modified with carbon nanotubes inks to build flexible electrochemical sensors.
The development of a solid-contact potentiometric sensor based on conducting rubbers using a carbon nanotubes ink is described here. Commercial rubbers are turned into conductive ones by a simple and versatile method, i.e. painting an aqueous dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes on the polymer surface. On this substrate, both the working ion-selective electrode and the reference electrode are built in order to form an integrated potentiometric cell. As a proof-of-principle, selective potassium electrodes are fully characterized giving comparable performances to conventional electrodes (sensitivity, selectivity, stability, linear range, limit of detection and reproducibility). As an application of the rubber-based electrodes, a bracelet was constructed to measure potassium levels in artificial sweat. Since rubbers are ubiquitous in our quotidian life, this approach offers great promise for the generation of chemical information through daily objects.
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia E-30100, Spain.
María
M
Cuartero
Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgil, Campus Sescelades, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
Jonathan Sabaté
JS
del Río
Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgil, Campus Sescelades, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
Pascal
P
Blondeau
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, Murcia E-30100, Spain.
Joaquín A
JA
Ortuño
Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgil, Campus Sescelades, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007, Spain.
F Xavier
FX
Rius
Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry, Universitat Rovira i Virgil, Campus Sescelades, Marcel·lí Domingo s/n, Tarragona 43007, Spain. Electronic address: franciscojavier.andrade@urv.cat.
Francisco J
FJ
Andrade
D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007281:Ink; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D011199:Potentiometry; D012408:Rubber / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D012408:Rubber; D011188:Potassium
Carbon nanotubes; Flexible sensor; Solid-contact ion-selective electrodes; Sweat analysis