Passive direct methanol fuel cells acting as fully autonomous electrochemical biosensors: Application to sarcosine detection

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022

Authors

Ferreira, NS (Author) Other; Carneiro, LPT (Author) Other; Viezzer, C (Author) Other; Almeida, MJT (Author) Other; Marques, AC (Author) Other; A.M.F.R. Pinto (Author) FEUP; Fortunato, E (Author) Other; Sales, MGF (Author) Other

Journal

The Journal is awaiting validation by the Administrative Services.

Title: JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Vol. 922

ISSN: 0022-0728

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00X-4ZT

DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2022.116710

Abstract (EN): This work describes an innovative electrochemical biosensor that advances its autonomy toward an equipmentfree design. The biosensor is powered by a passive direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and signals the response via an electrochromic display. Briefly, the anode side of the DMFC power source was modified with a biosensor layer developed using molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology to detect sarcosine (an amino acid derivative that is a potential cancer biomarker). The biosensor layer was anchored on the surface of the anode carbon electrode (carbon black with Pt/Ru, 40:20). This was done by bulk radical polymerization with acrylamide, bis-acrylamide, and vinyl phosphonic acid. This layer selectively interacted with sarcosine when integrated into the passive DMFC (single or multiple, in a stack of 4), which acted as a transducer element in a concentration-dependent process. Serial assembly of a stack of hybrid DMFC/biosensor devices triggered an external electrochromic cell (EC) that produced a colour change. Calibrations showed a concentration-dependent sarcosine response from 3.2 to 2000 mu M, which is compatible with the concentration of sarcosine in the blood of prostate cancer patients. The final DMFC/biosensor-EC platform showed a colour change perceptible to the naked eye in the presence of increasing sarcosine concentrations. This colour change was controlled by the DMFC operation, making this approach a self-controlled and self-signalling device. Overall, this approach is a proof-of-concept for a fully autonomous biosensor powered by a chemical fuel. This simple and low-cost approach offers the potential to be deployed anywhere and is particularly suitable for point-of-care (POC) analysis.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9