Graphene-Doped Tin Oxide Nanofibers and Nanoribbons as Gas Sensors to Detect Biomarkers of Different Diseases through the Breath.

Carlos Sánchez-Vicente,Alfredo Azabal,José Pedro Santos,Isabel Sayago,Santiago Ruiz-Valdepeñas,José Luis Sanjurjo,Jesús Lozano

doi:10.3390/s20247223

Carlos Sánchez-Vicente, Alfredo Azabal + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s20247223

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Abstract

This work presents the development of tin oxide nanofibers (NFs) and nanoribbons (NRs) sensors with graphene as a dopant for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) corresponding to different chronic diseases (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis or diabetes). This research aims to determine the ability of these sensors to differentiate between gas samples corresponding to healthy people and patients with a disease. The nanostructures were grown by electrospinning and deposited on silicon substrates with micro-heaters integrated. The morphology of NFs and NRs was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A gas line was assembled and programmed to measure a wide range of gases (ethanol, acetone, NO and CO) at different concentrations simulating human breath conditions. Measurements were made in the presence and absence of humidity to evaluate its effect. The sensors were able to differentiate between the concentrations corresponding to a healthy person and a patient with one of the selected diseases. These were sensitive to biomarkers such as acetone and ethanol at low operating temperatures (with responses above 35%). Furthermore, CO and NO response was at high temperatures (above 5%). The sensors had a rapid response, with times of 50 s and recovery periods of about 10 min.

Highlights

The use of aromas was employed to identify different diseases through the breath.Doctors could identify diseases such as diabetes or kidney failure using this method based on experience [1]
Pristine graphene (PG) was used as a dopant prepared by the liquid phase exfoliation
The above results confirm that graphene-doped tin oxide sensors can be used in an electronic nose for disease detection and control applications

Summary

Introduction

The use of aromas was employed to identify different diseases through the breath.Doctors could identify diseases such as diabetes or kidney failure using this method based on experience [1]. The use of aromas was employed to identify different diseases through the breath. One of them is disease detection, where the animal can differentiate between a healthy person and a person with a particular disease, as they can smell volatile compounds at lower concentrations than humans [2,3]. The air exhaled by a person contains many VOCs, whose concentrations can vary depending on various external factors such as age, weight, sex or lifestyle. Diseases are another parameter that can modify the composition of the breath, in particular, some respiratory and digestive diseases [4]

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