Development of a Low‐Cost and Easy‐to‐Prepare Carbon‐Based Ink for Printed Electrodes Using Pet as Support

• Published in: Electroanalysis (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2024-11, Vol.36 (11), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Lombello Coelho de Souza, Malena Karla, Nunes da Silva, Daniela, Ferreira, Lucas Franco, César Pereira, Arnaldo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: carbon-based materials; conductive ink; electrochemical analysis; screen-printing electrodes
• ISSN: 1040-0397; 1521-4109
• DOI: 10.1002/elan.202400027

This study presents the development of a low‐cost, easy‐to‐prepare carbon‐based ink for printed electrodes using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the support material. The ink was composed of graphite and cellulose acetate (80 : 20%) mixed with acetone and cyclohexanone as solvents. The screen‐printing technique, a versatile and economical method that allows the printing of high‐thickness films, was used to produce the sensor. The developed sensor was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), demonstrating good electrochemical behavior with a well‐defined peak corresponding to the redox probe and a low background current. The optimization process focused on analyzing and discussing the ink manufacturing process and characterizing the materials used. The performance of the fabricated printed electrode was evaluated using a potassium ferrocyanide probe as a model redox system. The proposed sensor has the potential for use in electroanalytical determinations and can be produced at a low cost of US$ 0.897 per unit. This study aims to contribute to the development of printed sensors that can be produced on a large scale, are disposable, and can be used to determine different analytes.