Textile‐based Electrochemical Sensing: Effect of Fabric Substrate and Detection of Nitroaromatic Explosives

Abstract

This study examines the influence of textile substrates upon the behavior of wearable screen-printed electrodes and demonstrates the attractive sensing properties of these sensors towards the detection of nitroaromatic explosives. Compared to electrodes printed on common cotton or polyester substrates, GORE-TEX-based electrochemical sensors display reproducible background cyclic voltammograms, reflecting the excellent water-repellant properties of the GORE-TEX fabric. The wetting properties of different printed textile electrodes are elucidated using contact angle measurements. The influence of laundry washing and mechanical stress is explored. The GORE-TEX-based printed electrodes exhibit favorable detection of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) explosives, including rapid detection of DNT vapor.

Textile-based sampling for potentiometric determination of ions

“…It was noted that cotton based materials exhibited immediate water uptake, e.g., the whole droplet of water was taken up within 2-3 s. For the polyamide and polyester based textile, water uptake after 60 s was negligible comparing to droplet state at 0 s. It was estimated that during 60 s measurements the volume of the droplet, due to evaporation, changed only about 2.1 AE 0.8%, thus the changes in droplet size and contact angle were attributed solely to the properties of the textile surface. The results vary from the ones reported by Chuang et al, where polyester textile exhibits fast water uptake [19]. This however, may differ depending on manufacturing processes, including immobilization and compactness of fibers in the textiles.…”

“…Up to date, textiles and paper substrates are the most commonly applied to integrate sensing elements with sampled surfaces, e.g., sensors on the skin [12]. Among many, worth mentioning are temporary tattoo papers for determination of sodium, ammonium and pH in sweat [14][15][16] or polyester, polyimide/lycra blend and GORE-TEX textile platforms for determination of chloride and sodium in sweat and nitroaromatic explosives for field-deployable security and soldier monitoring system [17][18][19].…”

Electroanalysis at Salt – Cotton – Electrode Interfaces: Preconcentration Effects Lead to Nano‐Molar Hg2+ Sensitivity

“…Previous electrochemical experiments with cotton textiles have been based mainly on modified electrodes immersed into aqueous electrolyte media [10][11][12], and printed electrodes on cotton [13], although wider interest in sensors embedded in textiles [14,15] and wearable electronics [16] provide a broader range of experimental challenges and applications. In principle, a low level of electrolyte within the cotton fabric and an appropriate level of humidity should be sufficient for electrochemical processes to occur at cottonelectrode interfaces.…”

Electrochemical sensing based on printable temporary transfer tattoos

“…1a–d In order to augment this capability, the analysis of the chemical constituents residing on the surface of the skin can provide useful insight into the overall health of the individual 2a,b and their exposure to chemical agents/hazards residing in their local environment 3a–c . While flexible screen-printed electrochemical sensors have been proposed recently 3b,4 , these devices cannot easily be attached to the body owing to incompatible elasticity between the substrate and the skin, thereby precluding them from direct epidermal integration. Recognizing this limitation as a fabrication challenge, the adaptation of printable electrodes to direct sensing on the skin would require a different fabrication methodology, leading to devices able to conform to the non-planar features and surface irregularities that are characteristic of the human anatomy.…”