Abstract
Paper-based sensors are a new alternative technology for fabricating simple, low-cost, portable and disposable analytical devices for many application areas including clinical diagnosis, food quality control and environmental monitoring. The unique properties of paper which allow passive liquid transport and compatibility with chemicals/biochemicals are the main advantages of using paper as a sensing platform. Depending on the main goal to be achieved in paper-based sensors, the fabrication methods and the analysis techniques can be tuned to fulfill the needs of the end-user. Current paper-based sensors are focused on microfluidic delivery of solution to the detection site whereas more advanced designs involve complex 3-D geometries based on the same microfluidic principles. Although paper-based sensors are very promising, they still suffer from certain limitations such as accuracy and sensitivity. However, it is anticipated that in the future, with advances in fabrication and analytical techniques, that there will be more new and innovative developments in paper-based sensors. These sensors could better meet the current objectives of a viable low-cost and portable device in addition to offering high sensitivity and selectivity, and multiple analyte discrimination. This paper is a review of recent advances in paper-based sensors and covers the following topics: existing fabrication techniques, analytical methods and application areas. Finally, the present challenges and future outlooks are discussed.
Highlights
Paper is a well-known material for writing, printing, drawing and packaging
Many new areas of fabrication and exploration have opened up, such as in paper-cut microfluidic devices [12,13,14,15] and microfluidic separation devices where chromatographic separation of mixtures takes place as the solution moves up the paper [16,17,18]
There are a variety of paper materials available to the user, the choice is based mainly on the fabrication steps required in developing a device and on the specific application area
Summary
Paper is a well-known material for writing, printing, drawing and packaging. The potential utility of paper beyond these simple and traditional means stems from its physical properties. Many new areas of fabrication and exploration have opened up, such as in paper-cut microfluidic devices [12,13,14,15] and microfluidic separation devices where chromatographic separation of mixtures takes place as the solution moves up the paper [16,17,18] These new research avenues have resulted in sensors that can be analysed by techniques other than colorimetry [1,11,19,20,21,22,23], such as by electrochemical [24,25,26], chemiluminescence [7], electrochemiluminescence [27] and electrical [28,29] methods. Due to the development of paper-based microfluidics in the past few years, paper has become a promising platform for lab-on-a-chip devices in which large-scale and complicated laboratory tests could be performed They allow for portable, on-site real-time detection which is crucial in many applications such as in the clinical, food and environmental sectors where simple and practical analytical devices are highly needed. Present challenges that need to be addressed in order for paper-based sensors to reach their full potential will be discussed, as well as future outlooks
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