Flexible Paper-Based Room-Temperature Acetone Sensors with Ultrafast Regeneration

Abstract

Paper-based lightweight, degradable, low-cost, and eco-friendly substrates are extensively used in wearable biosensor applications, albeit to a lesser extent in sensing acetone and other gas-phase analytes. Generally, rigid substrates with heaters have been employed to develop acetone sensors due to the high operating/recovery temperature (typically above 200 °C), limiting the use of papers as substrates in such sensing applications. In this work, we proposed fabricating the paper-based, room-temperature-operatable acetone sensor using ZnO-polyaniline-based acetone-sensing inks by a facile fabrication method. The fabricated paper-based electrodes showed good electrical conductivity (80 S/m) and mechanical stability (∼1000 bending cycles). The acetone sensors showed a sensitivity of 0.02/100 ppm and 0.6/10 μL with an ultrafast response (4 s) and recovery time (15 s) at room temperature. The sensors delivered a broad sensitivity over a physiological range of 260 to >1000 ppm with R 2 > 0.98 under atmospheric conditions. Further, the role of the surface, interfacial, microstructure, electrical, and electromechanical properties of the paper-based sensor devices has been correlated with the sensitivity and room-temperature recovery observed in our system. These versatile, green, flexible electronic devices would be ideal for low-cost, highly regenerative, room-/low-temperature-operable wearable sensor applications.

Sustainable Sensing with Paper Microfluidics: Applications in Health, Environment, and Food Safety

“…Davis et al [ 226 ] engineered a flexible paper-based sensor for acetone detection at room temperature. The paper-based electrodes were crafted through the application of zinc oxide (ZnO)-polyaniline-based conductive inks ( Figure 10 d).…”

“…( d ) Schematics of the paper-based flexible sensors for detection of acetone at room temperature. Reprinted with permission from Davis et al [ 226 ]. ©2023 American Chemical Society.…”

Sustainable Sensing with Paper Microfluidics: Applications in Health, Environment, and Food Safety

“…Davis et al [215] engineered a flexible paper-based sensor for acetone detection at room temperature. The paper-based electrodes were crafted through the application of zinc oxide (ZnO)-polyanilinebased conductive inks (Figure 9(d)).…”

Synergistic Etching and Hydrogen Bonding-Induced Self-Assembly of MXene/MOF Hybrid Aerogel for Flexible Room-Temperature Gas Sensing

“…Recently, functional nanomaterials have been integrated into flexible gas sensors, providing excellent mechanical durability and stable sensing performance. This integration has promoted their broad range of applications in detecting various harmful gases, particularly under continuous bending conditions. , Rational design and development of high-performance flexible devices for specific scenarios with high accuracy, long-term stability, and wearable potential continue to pose significant challenges.…”