Organic thin-film transistors for chemical and biological sensing

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) show promising applications in various chemical and biological sensors. The advantages of OTFT-based sensors include high sensitivity, low cost, easy fabrication, flexibility and biocompatibility. In this paper, we review the chemical sensors and biosensors based on two types of OTFTs, including organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), mainly focusing on the papers published in the past 10 years. Various types of OTFT-based sensors, including pH, ion, glucose, DNA, enzyme, antibody-antigen, cell-based sensors, dopamine sensor, etc., are classified and described in the paper in sequence. The sensing mechanisms and the detection limits of the devices are described in details. It is expected that OTFTs may have more important applications in chemical and biological sensing with the development of organic electronics.

Advances in organic transistor-based biosensors: from organic electrochemical transistors to electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors

Organic electronics have, over the past two decades, developed into an exciting area of research and technology to replace classic inorganic semiconductors. Organic photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes, and thin-film transistors are already well developed and are currently being commercialized for a variety of applications. More recently, organic transistors have found new applications in the field of biosensors. The progress made in this direction is the topic of this review. Various configurations are presented, with their detection principle, and illustrated by examples from the literature.

Highly sensitive dopamine biosensors based on organic electrochemical transistors

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) with different gate electrodes, including graphite, Au and Pt electrode, etc., have been used as dopamine sensor for the first time. The sensitivity of the OECT to dopamine depends on its gate electrode and operation voltage. We find that the device with a Pt gate electrode characterized at the gate voltage of 0.6 V shows the highest sensitivity. The detection limit of the device to dopamine is lower than 5 nM, which is one order of magnitude better than a conventional electrochemical measurement with the same Pt electrode. It is expected that OECT is a good candidate for low cost and highly sensitive biosensor for the detection of dopamine.

Pentacene thin-film transistors encapsulated by a thin alkane layer operated in an aqueous ionic environment

The encapsulation of pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) by a 50 nm thick layer of a long chain alkane (C₄₄H₉₀) enables the operation in an aqueous solution of 1 mM NaCl. It is the first time that pentacene TFTs operate successfully in a liquid environment. This opens new perspectives for biocompatible sensor devices based on pentacene TFTs.

Ion-sensitive properties of organic electrochemical transistors

Ion-sensitive properties of organic electrochemical transistors (OECT) based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) have been systematically studied for the first time. It has been found that the transfer curve (I(DS)-V(G)) of an OECT shifts to lower gate voltage horizontally with the increase of the concentration of cations, including H(+), K(+), Na(+), Ca(2+), and Al(3+), in the electrolyte. The gate electrode of the OECT plays an important role on its ion-sensitive properties. For devices with Ag/AgCl gate electrode, Nernstian relationships between the shift of the gate voltage and the concentrations of the cations have been obtained. For devices with metal gate electrodes, including Pt and Au, the ion sensitivity is higher than that given by the Nernst equation, which can be attributed to the interface between the metal gate and the electrolyte.

Emerging synergy between nanotechnology and implantable biosensors: a review

The development of implantable biosensors for continuous monitoring of metabolites is an area of sustained scientific and technological interests. On the other hand, nanotechnology, a discipline which deals with the properties of materials at the nanoscale, is developing as a potent tool to enhance the performance of these biosensors. This article reviews the current state of implantable biosensors, highlighting the synergy between nanotechnology and sensor performance. Emphasis is placed on the electrochemical method of detection in light of its widespread usage and substantial nanotechnology based improvements in various aspects of electrochemical biosensor performance. Finally, issues regarding toxicity and biocompatibility of nanomaterials, along with future prospects for the application of nanotechnology in implantable biosensors, are discussed.

All-plastic electrochemical transistor for glucose sensing using a ferrocene mediator

We demonstrate a glucose sensor based on an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) in which the channel, source, drain, and gate electrodes are made from the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The OECT employs a ferrocene mediator to shuttle electrons between the enzyme glucose oxidase and a PEDOT:PSS gate electrode. The device can be fabricated using a one-layer patterning process and offers glucose detection down to the micromolar range, consistent with levels present in human saliva.

Integration of a surface-directed microfluidic system with an organic electrochemical transistor array for multi-analyte biosensors

We report the integration of organic electrochemical transistors with a surface-directed microfluidic system. The end product is a chip in which an analyte solution is distributed in four separate measurement reservoirs, each containing a transistor that uses the analyte as an integral part of its device structure. The use of a surface-directed microfluidic system enables the distribution of the analyte solution without the application of external pressure. The use of this chip in the detection of multiple analytes is demonstrated.

A sensitivity-enhanced field-effect chiral sensor

Organic thin-film transistor sensors have been recently attracting the attention of the plastic electronics community for their potential exploitation in novel sensing platforms. Specificity and sensitivity are however still open issues: in this respect chiral discrimination-being a scientific and technological achievement in itself--is indeed one of the most challenging sensor bench-tests. So far, conducting-polymer solid-state chiral detection has been carried out at part-per-thousand concentration levels. Here, a novel chiral bilayer organic thin-film transistor gas sensor--comprising an outermost layer with built-in enantioselective properties-is demonstrated to show field-effect amplified sensitivity that enables differential detection of optical isomers in the tens-of-parts-per-million concentration range. The ad-hoc-designed organic semiconductor endowed with chiral side groups, the bilayer structure and the thin-film transistor transducer provide a significant step forward in the development of a high-performance and versatile sensing platform compatible with flexible organic electronic technologies.