Posttreatment of 3D‐printed surfaces for electrochemical applications: A critical review on proposed protocols

Microwave-Induced Processing of Free-Standing 3D Printouts: An Effortless Route to High-Redox Kinetics in Electroanalysis

3D-printable composites have become an attractive option used for the design and manufacture of electrochemical sensors. However, to ensure proper charge-transfer kinetics at the electrode/electrolyte interface, activation is often required, with this step consisting of polymer removal to reveal the conductive nanofiller. In this work, we present a novel effective method for the activation of composites consisting of poly(lactic acid) filled with carbon black (CB-PLA) using microwave radiation. A microwave synthesizer used in chemical laboratories (CEM, Matthews, NC, USA) was used for this purpose, establishing that the appropriate activation time for CB-PLA electrodes is 15 min at 70 °C with a microwave power of 100 W. However, the usefulness of an 80 W kitchen microwave oven is also presented for the first time and discussed as a more sustainable approach to CB-PLA electrode activation. It has been established that 10 min in a kitchen microwave oven is adequate to activate the electrode. The electrochemical properties of the microwave-activated electrodes were determined by electrochemical techniques, and their topography was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and contact-angle measurements. This study confirms that during microwave activation, PLAs decompose to uncover the conductive carbon-black filler. We deliver a proof-of-concept of the utility of kitchen microwave-oven activation of a 3D-printed, free-standing electrochemical cell (FSEC) in paracetamol electroanalysis in aqueous electrolyte solution. We established satisfactory limits of linearity for paracetamol detection using voltammetry, ranging from 1.9 μM to 1 mM, with a detection limit (LOD) of 1.31 μM.

Optimised graphite/carbon black loading of recycled PLA for the production of low-cost conductive filament and its application to the detection of β-estradiol in environmental samples

The production, optimisation, physicochemical, and electroanalytical characterisation of a low-cost electrically conductive additive manufacturing filament made with recycled poly(lactic acid) (rPLA), castor oil, carbon black, and graphite (CB-G/PLA) is reported. Through optimising the carbon black and graphite loading, the best ratio for conductivity, low material cost, and printability was found to be 60% carbon black to 40% graphite. The maximum composition within the rPLA with 10 wt% castor oil was found to be an overall nanocarbon loading of 35 wt% which produced a price of less than £0.01 per electrode whilst still offering excellent low-temperature flexibility and reproducible printing. The additive manufactured electrodes produced from this filament offered excellent electrochemical performance, with a heterogeneous electron (charge) transfer rate constant, k0 calculated to be (2.6 ± 0.1) × 10-3 cm s-1 compared to (0.46 ± 0.03) × 10-3 cm s-1 for the commercial PLA benchmark. The additive manufactured electrodes were applied to the determination of β-estradiol, achieving a sensitivity of 400 nA µM-1, a limit of quantification of 70 nM, and a limit of detection of 21 nM, which compared excellently to other reports in the literature. The system was then applied to the detection of ß-estradiol within four real water samples, including tap, bottled, river, and lake water, where recoveries between 95 and 109% were obtained. Due to the ability to create high-performance filament at a low material cost (£0.06 per gram) and through the use of more sustainable materials such as recycled polymers, bio-based plasticisers, and naturally occurring graphite, additive manufacturing will have a permanent place within the electroanalysis arsenal in the future.

3D-printed electrodes using graphite/carbon nitride/polylactic acid composite material: A greener platform for detection of amaranth dye in food samples

The production of sustainable materials with properties aimed at the additive manufacturing of electrochemical sensors has gained prestige in the scientific scenario. Here, a novel lab-made composite material using graphite (G) and carbon nitride (C3N4) embedded into polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer is proposed to produce 3D-printed electrodes. PLA offers printability and mechanical stability in this composition, while G and C3N4 provide electrical properties and electrocatalytic sites, respectively. Characterizations by Raman and infrared spectroscopies and Energy Dispersive X-rays indicated that the G/C3N4/PLA composite was successfully obtained, while electron microscopy images revealed non-homogeneous rough surfaces. Better electrochemical properties were achieved when the G/C3N4/PLA proportion (35:5:60) was used. As a proof of concept, amaranth (AMR), a synthetic dye, was selected as an analyte, and a fast method using square wave voltammetry was developed. Utilizing the 3D-printed G/C3N4/PLA electrode, a more comprehensive linear range (0.2 to 4.2 μmol/L), a 5-fold increase in sensitivity (9.83 μmol-1 L μA), and better limits of detection (LOD = 0.06 μmol/L) and quantification (LOQ = 0.18 μmol/L) were achieved compared to the G/PLA electrode. Samples of jelly, popsicles, isotonic drinks, and food flavoring samples were analyzed, and similar results to those obtained by UV-vis spectrometry confirmed the method's reliability. Therefore, the described sensor is a simple, cost-effective alternative for assessing AMR in routine food analysis.

Recycled PETg embedded with graphene, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon black for high-performance conductive additive manufacturing feedstock

The first report of conductive recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol (rPETg) for additive manufacturing and electrochemical applications is reported herein. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carbon black (CB) were embedded within a recycled feedstock to produce a filament with lower resistance than commercially available conductive polylactic acid (PLA). In addition to electrical conductivity, the rPETg was able to hold >10 wt% more conductive filler without the use of a plasticiser, showed enhanced temperature stability, had a higher modulus, improved chemical resistance, lowered levels of solution ingress, and could be sterilised in ethanol. Using a mix of carbon materials CB/MWCNT/GNP (25/2.5/2.5 wt%) the electrochemical performance of the rPETg filament was significantly enhanced, providing a heterogenous electrochemical rate constant, k0, equating to 0.88 (±0.01) × 10-3 cm s-1 compared to 0.46 (±0.02) × 10-3 cm s-1 for commercial conductive PLA. This work presents a paradigm shift within the use of additive manufacturing and electrochemistry, allowing the production of electrodes with enhanced electrical, chemical and mechanical properties, whilst improving the sustainability of the production through the use of recycled feedstock.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/carbon black/rPLA for high-performance conductive additive manufacturing filament and the simultaneous detection of acetaminophen and phenylephrine

The combination of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and carbon black (CB) is presented to produce a high-performance electrically conductive recycled additive manufacturing filament. The filament and subsequent additively manufactured electrodes were characterised by TGA, XPS, Raman, and SEM and showed excellent low-temperature flexibility. The MWCNT/CB filament exhibited an improved electrochemical performance compared to an identical in-house produced bespoke filament using only CB. A heterogeneous electrochemical rate constant, [Formula: see text] of 1.71 (± 0.19) × 10-3 cm s-1 was obtained, showing an almost six times improvement over the commonly used commercial conductive CB/PLA. The filament was successfully tested for the simultaneous determination of acetaminophen and phenylephrine, producing linear ranges of 5-60 and 5-200 μM, sensitivities of 0.05 μA μM-1 and 0.14 μA μM-1, and limits of detection of 0.04 μM and 0.38 μM, respectively. A print-at-home device is presented where a removable lid comprised of rPLA can be placed onto a drinking vessel and the working, counter, and reference components made from our bespoke MWCNT/CB filament. The print-at-home device was successfully used to determine both compounds within real pharmaceutical products, with recoveries between 87 and 120% over a range of three real samples. This work paves the way for fabricating new highly conductive filaments using a combination of carbon materials with different morphologies and physicochemical properties and their application to produce additively manufactured electrodes with greatly improved electrochemical performance.

Simultaneous monitoring of amoxicillin and paracetamol in synthetic biological fluids using a 3D printed disposable electrode with a lab-made conductive filament

In this work, we are pleased to present for the first time a 3D-printed electrochemical device using a lab-made conductive filament based on graphite (Gr) and polylactic acid (PLA) polymer matrix for the simultaneous detection of amoxicillin (AMX) and paracetamol (PAR). The sensor was properly characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Compared to the commercial glassy carbon electrode (GCE), the superior performance of the 3D-Gr/PLA electrode was verified with a 3.8-fold more favored charge transfer. A differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method was proposed providing a linear working range of 4 to 12 μmol L-1 for both analytes and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.80 and 0.51 μmol L-1 for AMX and PAR, respectively. Additionally, repeatability studies (n = 5, RSD < 5.7%) indicated excellent precision, and recovery percentages ranging from 89 to 109% when applied to synthetic human urine, saliva, and plasma samples, attested to the accuracy of the method. The studies also indicate that the sensor does not suffer significant interference from common substances (antibiotics and biomarkers) present in the biological fluids, which makes it a promising analytical tool considering its low-cost, ease of manufacturing, robustness, and electrochemical performance.

Solvent-activated 3D-printed electrodes and their electroanalytical potential

This work is a comprehensive study describing the optimization of the solvent-activated carbon-based 3D printed electrodes. Three different conductive filaments were used for the preparation of 3D-printed electrodes. Electrodes treatment with organic solvents, electrochemical characterization, and finally electroanalytical application was performed in a dedicated polyamide-based cell also created using 3D printing. We have investigated the effect of the used solvent (acetone, dichloromethane, dichloroethane, acetonitrile, and tetrahydrofuran), time of activation (from immersion up to 3600 s), and the type of commercially available filament (three different options were studied, each being a formulation of a polylactic acid and conductive carbon material). We have obtained and analysed a significant amount of collected data which cover the solvent-activated carbon-based electrodes surface wettability, microscopic insights into the surface topography analysed with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and finally voltammetric evaluation of the obtained carbon electrodes electrochemical response. All data are tabulated, discussed, and compared to finally provide the superior activation procedure. The electroanalytical performance of the chosen electrode is discussed based on the voltammetric detection of ferrocenemethanol.

3D-printed electrochemical cells with laser engraving: developing portable electroanalytical devices for forensic applications

A new electrochemical device fabricated by the combination of 3D printing manufacturing and laser-generated graphene sensors is presented. Cell and electrodes were 3D printed by the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique employing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene filament (insulating material that composes the cell) and conductive filament (lab-made filament based on graphite dispersed into polylactic acid matrix) to obtain reference and auxiliary electrodes. Infrared-laser engraved graphene, also reported as laser-induced graphene (LIG), was produced by laser conversion of a polyimide substrate, which was assembled in the 3D-printed electrochemical cell that enables the analysis of low volumes (50-2000 μL). XPS analysis revealed the formation of nitrogen-doped graphene multilayers that resulted in excellent electrochemical sensing properties toward the detection of atropine (ATR), a substance that was found in beverages to facilitate sexual assault and other criminal acts. Linear range between 5 and 35 μmol L-1, detection limit of 1 μmol L-1, and adequate precision (RSD = 4.7%, n = 10) were achieved using differential-pulse voltammetry. The method was successfully applied to beverage samples with recovery values ranging from 80 to 105%. Interference studies in the presence of species commonly found in beverages confirmed satisfactory selectivity for ATR sensing. The devices proposed are useful portable analytical tools for on-site applications in the forensic scenario.

3D printed graphite-based electrode coupled with batch injection analysis: An affordable high-throughput strategy for atorvastatin determination

This work integrated a lab-made conductive graphite/polylactic acid (Grp/PLA, 40:60% w/w) filament into a 3D pen to print customized electrodes (cylindrical design). Thermogravimetric analysis validated the incorporation of graphite into the PLA matrix, while Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy images indicated a graphitic structure with the presence of defects and highly porous, respectively. The electrochemical features of the 3D-printed Gpt/PLA electrode were systematically compared to that achieved using commercial carbon black/polylactic acid (CB/PLA, from Protopasta®) filament. The 3D printed Gpt/PLA electrode "in the native form" provided lower charge transfer resistance (Rct = 880 Ω) and a more kinetically favored reaction (K⁰ = 1.48 × 10^-3 cm s^-1) compared to the 3D printed CB/PLA electrode (chemically/electrochemically treated). Moreover, a method by batch injection analysis with amperometric detection (BIA-AD) was developed to determine atorvastatin (ATR) in pharmaceutical and water samples. Using the 3D printed Gpt/PLA electrode, a wider linear range (1-200 μmol L^-1), sensitivity (3-times higher), and lower detection limit (LOD = 0.13 μmol L^-1) were achieved when compared to the CB/PLA electrode. Repeatability studies (n = 15, RSD <7.3%) attested to the precision of the electrochemical measurements, and recovery percentages between 83 and 108% confirmed the accuracy of the method. Remarkably, this is the first time that ATR has been determined by the BIA-AD system and a low-cost 3D-printed device. This approach is promising to be implemented in research laboratories for quality control of pharmaceuticals and can also be useful for on-site environmental analysis.

3D-printed sensor decorated with nanomaterials by CO2 laser ablation and electrochemical treatment for non-enzymatic tyrosine detection

The combination of CO₂ laser ablation and electrochemical surface treatments is demonstrated to improve the electrochemical performance of carbon black/polylactic acid (CB/PLA) 3D-printed electrodes through the growth of flower-like Na₂O nanostructures on their surface. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the combination of treatments ablated the electrode's polymeric layer, exposing a porous surface where Na₂O flower-like nanostructures were formed. The electrochemical performance of the fabricated electrodes was measured by the reversibility of the ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple presenting a significantly improved performance compared with electrodes treated by only one of the steps. Electrodes treated by the combined method also showed a better electrochemical response for tyrosine oxidation. These electrodes were used as a non-enzymatic tyrosine sensor for quantification in human urine samples. Two fortified urine samples were analyzed, and the recovery values were 106 and 109%. The LOD and LOQ for tyrosine determination were 0.25 and 0.83 μmol L^-1, respectively, demonstrating that the proposed devices are suitable sensors for analyses of biological samples, even at low analyte concentrations.

Adjusting the Connection Length of Additively Manufactured Electrodes Changes the Electrochemical and Electroanalytical Performance

Changing the connection length of an additively manufactured electrode (AME) has a significant impact on the electrochemical and electroanalytical response of the system. In the literature, many electrochemical platforms have been produced using additive manufacturing with great variations in how the AME itself is described. It is seen that when measuring the near-ideal outer-sphere redox probe hexaamineruthenium (III) chloride (RuHex), decreasing the AME connection length enhances the heterogeneous electrochemical transfer (HET) rate constant (k0) for the system. At slow scan rates, there is a clear change in the peak-to-peak separation (ΔEp) observed in the RuHex voltammograms, with the ΔEp shifting from 118 ± 5 mV to 291 ± 27 mV for the 10 and 100 mm electrodes, respectively. For the electroanalytical determination of dopamine, no significant difference is noticed at low concentrations between 10- and 100-mm connection length AMEs. However, at concentrations of 1 mM dopamine, the peak oxidation is shifted to significantly higher potentials as the AME connection length is increased, with a shift of 150 mV measured. It is recommended that in future work, all AME dimensions, not just the working electrode head size, is reported along with the resistance measured through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to allow for appropriate comparisons with other reports in the literature. To produce the best additively manufactured electrochemical systems in the future, researchers should endeavor to use the shortest AME connection lengths that are viable for their designs.

New conductive filament ready-to-use for 3D-printing electrochemical (bio)sensors: Towards the detection of SARS-CoV-2

The 3D printing technology has gained ground due to its wide range of applicability. The development of new conductive filaments contributes significantly to the production of improved electrochemical devices. In this context, we report a simple method to producing an efficient conductive filament, containing graphite within the polymer matrix of PLA, and applied in conjunction with 3D printing technology to generate (bio)sensors without the need for surface activation. The proposed method for producing the conductive filament consists of four steps: (i) mixing graphite and PLA in a heated reflux system; (ii) recrystallization of the composite; (iii) drying and; (iv) extrusion. The produced filament was used for the manufacture of electrochemical 3D printed sensors. The filament and sensor were characterized by physicochemical techniques, such as SEM, TGA, Raman, FTIR as well as electrochemical techniques (EIS and CV). Finally, as a proof-of-concept, the fabricated 3D-printed sensor was applied for the determination of uric acid and dopamine in synthetic urine and used as a platform for the development of a biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The developed sensors, without pre-treatment, provided linear ranges of 0.5-150.0 and 5.0-50.0 μmol L^-1, with low LOD values (0.07 and 0.11 μmol L^-1), for uric acid and dopamine, respectively. The developed biosensor successfully detected SARS-CoV-2 S protein, with a linear range from 5.0 to 75.0 nmol L^-1 (0.38 μg mL^-1 to 5.74 μg mL^-1) and LOD of 1.36 nmol L^-1 (0.10 μg mL^-1) and sensitivity of 0.17 μA nmol^-1 L (0.01 μA μg^-1 mL). Therefore, the lab-made produced and the ready-to-use conductive filament is promising and can become an alternative route for the production of different 3D electrochemical (bio)sensors and other types of conductive devices by 3D printing.

Electrochemical determination of several biofuel antioxidants in biodiesel and biokerosene using polylactic acid loaded with carbon black within 3D-printed devices

Low oxidation stability is the main drawback of biodiesels and biokerosenes that is overcome by using antioxidants, which can be combined due to synergistic effects. This paper demonstrates that 3D-printed electrochemical devices can be applied to biofuel electroanalysis, including the monitoring of oxidation stability by quantifying the antioxidant content in biofuels. Fabrication requires 3D-printed acrylic templates at which a polylactic acid (PLA) filament with conducting carbon-black filling sensors is extruded by a 3D pen. The antioxidants butyl hydroxyanisole (BHA) and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) are the most employed additives in biodiesel production, and thus, their electrochemical behavior was investigated; 2,6-ditertbutylphenol (2,6-DTBP) was included in this investigation because it is commonly added to biokerosenes. The electrochemical surface treatment of the 3D-printed electrodes improved the current responses of all antioxidants; however, the electrochemical oxidation of TBHQ was clearly more affected by an electrocatalytic action shifting its oxidation towards less positive potentials (~200 mV), which resulted in a better separation of TBHQ and BHA oxidation peaks (+0.4 and +0.6 V vs Ag|AgCl, respectively). The oxidation of 2,6-DTBP occurred at more positive potentials (+1.2 V vs Ag|AgCl). The simultaneous determination of TBHQ and BHA by differential-pulse voltammetry resulted in linear responses in the range 0.5 and 175 μmol L^-1 with limits of detection and quantification of 0.15 μmol L^-1 and 0.5 μmol L^-1, respectively. The presence of Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Zn²⁺, even in high concentrations, did not interfere in the determination of TBHQ and BHA. The determination of 2,6-DTBP in biokerosene was achieved by cyclic voltammetry. All relative standard deviations (RSD) were lower than 6.0 %, indicating adequate precision of the methods. Spiked biofuel samples were analyzed (after dilution in electrolyte) and recovery values between 85 and 120% were obtained, which indicates absence of sample matrix effects.

Integrated multi-material portable 3D-printed platform for electrochemical detection of dopamine and glucose

Design and production of a one-step 3D-printed functional electrochemical biosensor for efficient detection of dopamine and glucose in low-volume samples (100 μL). Glucose detection via ruthenium-mediated amperometry provides results in 60 seconds.