Glucose biosensor based on disposable electrochemical paper-based transducers fully fabricated by screen-printing

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2018-06, Vol.109, p.8-12
• Main Authors: Lamas-Ardisana, P.J., Martínez-Paredes, G., Añorga, L., Grande, H.J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biosensing Techniques - methods; Blood Glucose - chemistry; Blood Glucose - isolation & purification; Carbon - chemistry; Electrochemical Techniques - methods; Electrode; Fabrication; Glucose biosensor; Glucose Oxidase - chemistry; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; Paper-based device; Printing; Screen-printing; Soft-drinks
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.02.061

This paper describes a new approach for the massive production of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs). These devices are fully fabricated by screen-printing technology and consist of a lineal microfluidic channel delimited by hydrophobic walls (patterned with diluted ultraviolet screen-printing ink in chromatographic paper grade 4) and a three-electrode system (printed with carbon and/or Ag/AgCl conductive inks). The printing process was characterised and optimized for pattern each layer with only one squeeze sweep. These ePADs were used as transducers to develop a glucose biosensor. Ionic strength/pH buffering salts, electrochemical mediator (ferricyanide) and enzyme (glucose dehydrogenase FAD-dependent) were separately stored along the microfluidic channel in order to be successively dissolved and mixed after the sample dropping at the entrance. The analyses required only 10 µl and the biosensors showed good reproducibility (RSD = 6.2%, n = 10) and sensitivity (0.426 C/M cm2), wide linear range (0.5–50 mM; r2 = 0.999) and low limit of detection (0.33 mM). Furthermore, the new biosensor was applied for glucose determination in five commercial soft-drinks without any sample treatment before the analysis. These samples were also analysed with a commercial enzymatic-kit assay. The results indicated that both methods provide accurate results. •A novel procedure is detailed for the full fabrication of electrochemical paper-based devices (ePAD) by screen-printing.•A commercial UV screen-printing ink is diluted with a thinner for patterning hydrophobic barriers into chromatography paper.•A biosensor for glucose detection is obtained by storing separately the reagents along the microfluidic channel of the ePAD.•Non-treated soft-drink samples are analysed with the glucose biosensors.