Self-Powered Detection of Glucose by Enzymatic Glucose/Oxygen Fuel Cells on Printed Circuit Boards

Carla Gonzalez-Solino, Elena Bernalte, Clara Bayona Royo, Richard Bennett, Dónal Leech, Mirella Di Lorenzo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Monitoring glucose levels in physiological fluids can help prevent severe complications associated with hypo- and hyper-glycemic events. Current glucose-monitoring systems require a three-electrode setup and a power source to function, which can hamper the system miniaturization to the patient discomfort. Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) offer the opportunity to develop self-powered and minimally invasive glucose sensors by eliminating the need for an external power source. Nevertheless, practical applications demand for cost-effective and mass-manufacturable EFCs compatible with integration strategies. In this study, we explore for the first time the use of gold electrodes on a printed circuit board (PCB) for the development of an EFC and demonstrate its application in saliva. To increase the specific surface area, the PCB gold-plated electrodes were modified with porous gold films. At the anode, glucose oxidase is immobilized with an osmium redox polymer that serves as an electron-transfer mediator. At the cathode, bilirubin oxidase is adsorbed onto the porous gold surface with a blocking agent that prevents parasitic reactions while maintaining the enzyme catalytic activity. The resulting EFC showed a linear response to glucose in phosphate buffer within the range 50 μM to 1 mM, with a sensitivity of 14.13 μA cm-2 mM-1. The sensor was further characterized in saliva, showing the linear range of detection of 0.75 to 2 mM, which is within the physiological range, and sensitivity of 21.5 μA cm-2 mM-1. Overall, this work demonstrates that PCBs are suitable platforms for EFCs, paving the way for the development of fully integrated systems in a seamless and miniaturized device.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)26704-26711
Number of pages8
JournalACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume13
Issue number23
Early online date26 May 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 16 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the University of Bath for supporting C.G.-S.’s Ph.D. scholarship; the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R022534/1) and the Irish Research Council (GOIPG/2016/505) for funding; David Chapman and Dr. Despina Moschou, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, for providing the electrical support during this project and the design of the printed circuit boards, respectively.

Funding

The authors would like to thank the University of Bath for supporting C.G.-S.’s Ph.D. scholarship; the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R022534/1) and the Irish Research Council (GOIPG/2016/505) for funding; David Chapman and Dr. Despina Moschou, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, for providing the electrical support during this project and the design of the printed circuit boards, respectively.

Keywords

  • enzymatic fuel cell
  • glucose monitoring
  • highly porous gold
  • printed circuit board
  • self-powered detection

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science

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