Analytical sensing platforms with inkjet printed electrodes

Disposable amperometric electrode chips enable the rapid, cost-effective and reliable monitoring of the concentration of analytes in fluidic samples. One example of high relevance in the health sector is the detection of hydrophilic antioxidants in fruit juices and biological fluids such as blood and saliva. In order to obtain highly reproducible electrodes at low cost and for small sample volumes, inkjet printing was used to prepare fully printed integrated electrode chips comprising a carbon nanotube working electrode, a carbon nanotube counter electrode and a silver or silver/silver chloride quasi-reference electrode. Silver was printed for the electrical connections and a UV curable dielectric ink was used to insulate the electrode connections and to precisely define the active electrode areas. The presented multi-layer based analytical sensing platforms support the recent general assessment that inkjet printing has reached the status of a large-scale production technique.