Design of novel, simple, and inexpensive 3D printing-based miniaturized electrochemical platform containing embedded disposable detector for analytical applications

Technological Advancement and Trend in Selective Bioanalytical Sample Extraction through State of the Art 3-D Printing Techniques Aiming 'Sorbent Customization as per need'

The inherent complexity of biological matrices and presence of several interfering substances in biological samples make them unsuitable for direct analysis. An effective sample preparation technique assists in analyte enrichment, improving selectivity and sensitivity of bioanalytical method. Because of several key benefits of employing 3D printed sorbent in sample extraction, it has recently gained popularity across a variety of industries. Applications for 3D printing in the field of bioanalytical research have grown recently, particularly in the areas of miniaturization, (bio)sensing, sample preparation, and separation sciences. Due to the high expense of the solid phase microextraction cartridge, researcher approaches in-lab production of sorbent material for the extraction of analyte from biological samples. Owing to its distinct advantages such as low costs, automation capabilities, capacity to produce products in a variety of shapes, and reduction of tedious steps of sample preparation, 3D printed sorbents are gaining increased attention in the field of bioanalysis. It is also reported to offer high selectivity and assist in achieving a much lower limit of detection. In this review, we have discussed current advancements in different types of 3D printed sorbents, production methods, and their applications in the field of bioanalytical sample preparation.

Improving the performance and versatility of microfluidic thread electroanalytical devices by automated injection with electronic pipettes: a new and powerful 3D-printed analytical platform

Microfluidic cotton thread-based electroanalytical devices (μTEDs) are analytical systems with attractive features such as spontaneous passive flow, low cost, minimal waste production, and good sensitivity. Currently, sample injection in µTEDs is performed by hand using manual micropipettes, which have drawbacks such as inconstant speed and position, dependence of skilled analysts, and need of physical effort of operator during prolonged times, leading to poor reproducibility and risk of strain injury. As an alternative to these inconveniences, we propose, for the first time, the use of electronic micropipettes to carry out automated injections in µTEDs. This new approach avoids all disadvantages of manual injections, while also improving the performance, experience, and versatility of µTEDs. The platform developed here is composed by three 3D-printed electrodes (detector) attached to a 3D-printed platform containing an adjustable holder that keeps the electronic pipette in the same x/y/z position. As a proof-of-concept, both injection modes (manual and electronic) were compared using three model analytes (nitrite, paracetamol, and 5-hydroxytryptophan) on µTED with amperometric detection. As result, improved analytical performance (limits of detection between 2.5- and 5-fold lower) was obtained when using electronic injections, as well as better repeatability/reproducibility and higher analytical frequencies. In addition, the determination of paracetamol in urine samples suggested better precision and accuracy for automated injection. Thus, electronic injection is a great advance and changes the state-of-art of µTEDs, mainly considering the use of more modern and versatile electronic pipettes (wider range of pre-programmed modes), which can lead to the development of even more automated systems.

A miniaturized analytical system with packed epoxy-functionalized mesoporous organosilica for copper determination using a customized Android-based software

A smartphone-assisted determination of copper ions is introduced by using a down-scaled microfluidic mixer. The system was coupled with a micro-column packed with a periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) material for preconcentration of copper ions. Copper ions were reduced to Cu(I) on-chip to selectively form an orange-colored complex with neocuproine. A novel Android-based software was made to determine the color change of the adsorbent by analyzing red-green-blue (RGB) components of images from the packed PMO material. Four porous framework materials with high porosity and chemical stability were synthesized and compared for the extraction of the Cu-neocuproine complex. The main parameters influencing the complex extraction efficiency were optimized. The analytical performance of the method showed limit of detection and quantification of 0.2 μg L^-1 and 0.5 μg L^-1, respectively. The accuracy and precision of the method were determined as recovery > 92% and relative standard deviations < 5.2% at medium concentration level (n = 5). Due to accumulation of the retained analyte in a single point and elimination of the stripping step, the RGB-based method showed sensitivity and precision higher than inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for determination of copper ions. To investigate the applicability of the method, six different water samples were analyzed. The t-test on the data showed that the method has no significant difference when compared with ICP-AES determination.

Simple, fast, and instrumentless fabrication of paper analytical devices by novel contact stamping method based on acrylic varnish and 3D printing

A new contact stamping method for fabrication of paper-based analytical devices (PADs) is reported. It uses an all-purpose acrylic varnish and 3D-printed stamps to pattern hydrophobic structures on paper substrates. The use of 3D printing allows quickly prototyping the desired stamp shape without resorting to third-party services, which are often expensive and time consuming. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the use of this material for creation of hydrophobic barriers in paper substrates, as well as this 3D printing-based stamping method. The acrylic varnish was characterized and the features of the stamping method were studied. The PADs developed here presented better compatibility with organic solvents and surfactants compared with similar protocols. Furthermore, the use of this contact stamping method for fabrication of paper electrochemical devices was also possible, as well as multiplexed microfluidic devices for lateral flow testing. The analytical applicability of the varnish-based PADs was demonstrated through the image-based colorimetric quantification of iron in pharmaceutical samples. A limit of detection of 0.61 mg L^-1 was achieved. The results were compared with spectrophotometry for validation and presented great concordance (relative error was < 5% and recoveries were between 104 and 108%). Thus, taking into account the performance of the devices explored here, we believe this novel contact stamping method is a very interesting alternative for production of PADs, exhibiting great potentiality. In addition, this work brings a new application of 3D printing in analytical sciences.

Fully Integrated 3D-Printed Electronic Device for the On-Field Determination of Antipsychotic Drug Quetiapine

In this work, we developed a novel all-3D-printed device for the simple determination of quetiapine fumarate (QF) via voltammetric mode. The device was printed through a one-step process by a dual-extruder 3D printer and it features three thermoplastic electrodes (printed from a carbon black-loaded polylactic acid (PLA)) and an electrode holder printed from a non-conductive PLA filament. The integrated 3D-printed device can be printed on-field and it qualifies as a ready-to-use sensor, since it does not require any post-treatment (i.e., modification or activation) before use. The electrochemical parameters, which affect the performance of the sensor in QF determination, were optimized and, under the selected conditions, the quantification of QF was carried out in the concentration range of 5 × 10⁻⁷–80 × 10⁻⁷ mol × L⁻¹. The limit of detection was 2 × 10⁻⁹ mol × L⁻¹, which is lower than that of existing electrochemical QF sensors. The within-device and between-device reproducibility was 4.3% and 6.2% (at 50 × 10⁻⁷ mol × L⁻¹ QF level), respectively, demonstrating the satisfactory operational and fabrication reproducibility of the device. Finally, the device was successfully applied for the determination of QF in pharmaceutical tablets and in human urine, justifying its suitability for routine and on-site analysis.

Development of highly sensitive electrochemical sensor using new graphite/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene conductive composite and 3D printing-based alternative fabrication protocol

Here, a novel electrically conductive thermoplastic material composed of graphite/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (G/ABS) is reported for the first time. This material was explored on the production of 3D printing-based electrochemical sensors with enhanced sensitivity using a novel fabrication approach. The developed G/ABS electrodes showed lower charge transfer resistance (157 vs. 3279 Ω), higher electroactive area (0.61 vs. 0.19 cm²) and peak currents ca. 69% higher when compared with electrodes fabricated using carbon black/polylactic acid (CB/PLA) commercial filament, which has been widely explored in recent literature. Moreover, the G/ABS sensor provided satisfactory repeatability, reproducibility and stability (relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 1.14%, 6.81% and 10.62%, respectively). This improved performance can be attributed to the fabrication protocol developed here, which allows the incorporation of greater amounts of conductive material in the polymeric matrix. The G/ABS electrode also required a simpler and quicker protocol for activation when compared to CB/PLA. As proof of concept, the G/ABS sensor was employed for electroanalytical quantification of paracetamol (PAR) in pharmaceutical products. The linear concentration range was observed from 0.20 to 30 μmol L^-1 and the limit of detection achieved was 54 nmol L^-1, much lower than several recent studies dealing with the same analyte. The sensitivity of the G/ABS electrode regarding PAR was also far better when compared to CB/PLA sensor (0.50 μA/μmol L^-1 vs. 0.12 μA/μmol L^-1). Analyses in commercial pill samples showed good accuracy (recoveries ca. 108%) and precision (RSDs < 5%), suggesting great potential for use of this novel conductive thermoplastic in electroanalytical applications based on 3D printing.

A novel all-3D-printed thread-based microfluidic device with an embedded electrochemical detector: first application in environmental analysis of nitrite

A microfluidic thread electroanalytical device (μTED) containing an embedded electrochemical detector is presented for the first time in this work. This novel device was entirely produced in an automated way using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing technique. The main platform was fabricated with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament, while the integrated electrochemical detector was produced using a commercial conductive filament composed of carbon black and polylactic acid (CB/PLA). The microfluidic channels consisted of cotton threads, which act as passive pumps, and the μTED was used for microflow injection analysis (μFIA). As a proof of concept, this μFIA system was utilized for the amperometric sensing of nitrite in natural waters. This is the first report on the use of both μTEDs and 3D-printed CB/PLA electrodes to determine this species. This fully 3D-printed μTED was characterized and all experimental and instrumental parameters related to the method were studied and optimized. Using the best conditions, the proposed approach showed a linear response in the concentration range from 8 to 200 μmol L^-1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.39 μmol L^-1. The LOD obtained here was ca. ten-fold lower than the maximum contaminant level for nitrite in drinking water established by the Brazilian and US legislation. Moreover, the platform presented good repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 2.1% and 2.5%, respectively). Lastly, the 3D-printed μTED was applied for the quantification of nitrite in well water samples and the results obtained showed good precision (RSD < 3%) and excellent concordance (relative error was ca.±3%) with those achieved by ion chromatography, used for validation.