Wearable Skin-Worn Enzyme-Based Electrochemical Devices: Biosensing, Energy Harvesting, and Self-Powered Sensing

Abstract

Integrating enzymes with wearable electrochemical systems delivers extraordinary functional devices, including biosensors and biofuel cells (BFCs). Strategies employing enzyme-based bioelectronics represent a unique foundation of wearables because of specific enzyme recognition and catalytic activities. Therefore, such electrochemical biodevices on various platforms, e.g., tattoos, textiles, and wearable accessories, are interesting. However, these devices need effective power sources, requiring combining effective energy sources, such as BFCs, onto compact and conformal platforms. Advantageously, bioenergy-harvesting BFCs can also act as self-powered sensors, simplifying wearable systems. Challenges pertaining to energy requirements and the integration of biocatalysts with electrodes should be considered. In this chapter, we detail updated advancement in skin-worn devices, including biosensors, BFCs, and self-powered sensors, along with engineering designs and on-skin iontophoretic strategies to extract biofluids. Crucial parameters including mechanical/material aspects (e.g., stretchability), electrochemistry, enzyme-related views (e.g., electron shuttles, immobilization, and behaviors), and oxygen dependency will be discussed, along with outlooks. Understanding such challenges and opportunities is important to revolutionize wearable devices for diverse applications.

Surgical management of breast cancer in China: the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center experience

“…Recent works have shown the promising concept in the potential applications of wireless or flexible electronic devices [11]- [15], internet of things (IoTs) [16]- [18], healthcare and medical areas [19]- [22]. Besides nanogenerators, there are other self-powered sensing concepts based on various mechanisms like the photovoltaic (PV) [15], [23]- [25], thermoelectric/pyroelectric [23], [26]- [29], electromagnetic [30], [31], and electrochemical effects [32], [33].…”

Review—Flexible and Stretchable Electrochemical Sensing Systems: Materials, Energy Sources, and Integrations

“…Some detailed challenges, including enzyme-related aspects and effects of oxygen fluctuations, have been discussed. 144,145 Recently, numerous efforts have been made to develop flexible and stretchable BFCs. Stepping forward from traditional rigid BFCs, stretchable glucose BFCs that could maintain the electrochemical functions even after being repeatedly stretched by 300% were demonstrated.…”

Review—Energy Autonomous Wearable Sensors for Smart Healthcare: A Review

“…2,[120][121][122] In health monitoring, it is important to detect the presence of analytes into the body´s biofluids such as sweat using wearable biochemical sensors such as: ions (sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, pH), glucose, lactate, enzyme (alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, tyrosinase), proteins (troponin, C-Reactive Protein, BNP), hormone (cortisol), alcohol, drugs and antibodies. 30,121,[123][124][125][126] However, the correlation between the level of analytes in sweat and the health condition has not been totally understood.…”