A Disposable paper breathalyzer with an alcohol sensing organic electrochemical transistor.
Breathalyzers estimate Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) from the concentration of ethanol in the breath. Breathalyzers are easy to use but are limited either by their high price and by environmental concerns, or by a short lifetime and the need for continuous recalibration. Here, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept disposable breathalyzer using an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) modified with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as the sensor. The OECT is made with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (



PSS), and is printed on paper. ADH and its cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) are immobilized onto the OECT with an electrolyte gel. When the OECT-breathalyzer is exposed to ethanol vapor, the enzymatic reaction of ADH and ethanol transforms NAD(+) into NADH, which causes a decrease in the OECT source drain current. In this fashion, the OECT-breathalyzer easily detects ethanol in the breath equivalent to BAC from 0.01% to 0.2%. The use of a printed OECT may contribute to the development of breathalyzers that are disposable, ecofriendly, and integrated with wearable devices for real-time BAC monitoring.
Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, CMP-EMSE, MOC, 13541 Gardanne, France.|Microvitae Technologies, Hôtel Technologique, Europarc Sainte Victoire, Route de Valbrillant, Meyreuil, 13590, France.|Department of Flexible Electronics, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, CMP-EMSE, MOC, 13541 Gardanne, France.
Eloїse
E
Bihar
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Yingxin
Y
Deng
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.|Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
Takeo
T
Miyake
Department of Flexible Electronics, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, CMP-EMSE, MOC, 13541 Gardanne, France.
Mohamed
M
Saadaoui
Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines, CMP-EMSE, MOC, 13541 Gardanne, France.
George G
GG
Malliaras
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.|Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
Marco
M
Rolandi