Wearable electrochemical sensor based on bimetallic MOF coated CNT/PDMS film electrode via a dual-stamping method for real-time sweat glucose analysis

Abstract

Non-invasive wearable sweat glucose sensors are expected to be highly desirable for personalized diabetes management. Therefore, developing facile, convenient, and scalable manufacturing method of such wearable sensors is urgently needed. Herein, we report a simple and low-cost stamping-vacuum filtration dry transfer (SVFDT) method for construction of a wearable sweat glucose electrochemical sensor. In this patch, a three-electrode array template was made by using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stamp, followed by the preparation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (MP) film electrode using the vacuum-filtration dry transfer method. In addition, for further enhancing the conductivity of the electrode, another similar stamp with a raised surface dipping carbon nanotubes (CNTs) conductive coating was stamped on the surface of the MP electrode to obtain CNTs/MWCNTs/PDMS (CMP) electrode. CMP electrode was modified with the enzyme-like Ni-Co metal-organic framework (MOF) material which showed good electro-catalytic activity and achieved high sensitivity for glucose detection with a low detection limit of 6.78 μM and a wide linear range of 20 μM - 1.1 mM. More importantly, the Ni-Co MOF modified CMP (NCMP) electrode also displayed high stability under stretching and bending conditions. Finally, the sweat absorbent cloth was combined with the NCMP film electrode to form a wearable flexible electrochemical sensor patch, which could adhere to the skin to enrich sweat and realize real-time detection of sweat glucose with high accuracy. This SVFDT method can also be applied to the fabrication of other electronic devices.