MYSTAT: A compact potentiostat/galvanostat for general electrochemistry measurements

HunStat - a simple and low-cost potentiostat for analytical and educational purposes

We have developed a truly low-cost (15 USD), simple do-it-yourself (DIY) potentiostat with compact dimensions. The output potential range of this device is between ±1.65 V. The developed instrument takes advantage of a Seeeduino XIAO microcontroller equipped with 10 bit digital-to-analog (D/A) and 12 bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converters and supports various voltammetry techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and chronoamperometry (CA). Interested users are provided with circuit diagrams, bill of materials, and design files. Additionally, software components are also provided free of charge, including an Arduino sketch and control software. The software enables easy manipulation of electrochemical parameters and visualization of results. The presented design introduces a simple and low-cost DIY potentiostat recommended for both analytical and educational purposes.

Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensor Using Bimetallic Catalysts

Bimetallic glucose oxidation electrocatalysts were synthesized by two electrochemical reduction reactions carried out in series onto a titanium electrode. Nickel was deposited in the first synthesis stage followed by either silver or copper in the second stage to form Ag@Ni and Cu@Ni bimetallic structures. The chemical composition, crystal structure, and morphology of the resulting metal coating of the titanium electrode were investigated by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The electrocatalytic performance of the coated titanium electrodes toward glucose oxidation was probed using cyclic voltammetry and amperometry. It was found that the unique high surface area bimetallic structures have superior electrocatalytic activity compared to nickel alone. The resulting catalyst-coated titanium electrode served as a nonenzymatic glucose sensor with high sensitivity and low limit of detection for glucose. The Cu@Ni catalyst enables accurate measurement of glucose over the concentration range of 0.2-12 mM, which includes the full normal human blood glucose range, with the maximum level extending high enough to encompass warning levels for prediabetic and diabetic conditions. The sensors were also found to perform well in the presence of several chemical compounds found in human blood known to interfere with nonenzymatic sensors.

Electrochemical Methods in the Cloud: FreiStat, an IoT-Enabled Embedded Potentiostat

Embedded potentiostats enable electrochemical measurements in the Internet-of-Things (IoT) or other decentralized applications, such as remote environmental monitoring, electrochemical energy systems, and biomedical point-of-care applications. We report on Freiburg's Potentiostat (FreiStat) based on the AD5941 potentiostat circuit from Analog Devices, together with custom firmware, as the key to precise and advanced electrochemical methods. We demonstrated its analytical performance by various cyclic voltammetry measurements, advanced techniques such as differential pulse voltammetry, and a lactate biosensor measurement with currents in the nA range and a resolution of 54 pA. The FreiStat yielded analytical results comparable to benchtop devices and outperformed current commercial embedded potentiostats at significantly lower cost, smaller size, and lower power consumption. Decentralized corrosion analysis by a Tafel plot using the IBM Cloud showed its applicability in a typical IoT scenario. The developed open-source software framework facilitates the integration of electrochemical instrumentation into applications utilizing machine learning and other artificial intelligence. Together with the affordable and highly capable embedded potentiostat, our approach can leverage analytical chemistry toward increasingly important, more widespread and decentralized applications.

We-VoltamoStat: A wearable potentiostat for voltammetry analysis with a smartphone interface

Wearable technology, such as electronic components integrated into clothing or worn as accessories, is becoming increasingly prevalent in fields like healthcare and biomedical monitoring. These devices allow for continuous monitoring of important biomarkers for medical diagnosis, monitoring of physiological health, and evaluation. However, an open-source wearable potentiostat is a relatively new technology that still faces several design limitations such as short battery lifetime, bulky size, heavy weight, and the requirement for a wire for data transmission, which affects comfortability during long periods of measurement. In this work, an open-source wearable potentiostat device named We-VoltamoStat is developed to allow interested parties to use and modify the device for creating new products, research, and teaching purposes. The proposed device includes improved and added features, such as wireless real-time signal monitoring and data collection. It also has an ultra-low power consumption battery estimated to deliver 15 mA during operating mode for 33 h and 20 min and 5 mA during standby mode for 100 h without recharging. Its convenience for wearable applications, tough design, and compact size of 67x54x38 mm make it suitable for wearable applications. Cost-effectiveness is another advantage, with a price less than 120 USD. Validation performance tests indicate that the device has good accuracy, with an R2 value of 0.99 for linear regression of test accuracy on milli-, micro-, and nano-Ampere detection. In the future, it is recommended to improve the design and add more features to the device, including new applications for wearable potentiostats.

BIMMS: A versatile and portable system for biological tissue and electrode-tissue interface electrical characterization

The presented design is a low-cost, compact, and open-source USB-controlled platform for biological tissue and electrode-tissue interface electrical measurements, capable of potentiostatic and galvanostatic electrical impedance spectroscopy up to 10 MHz and cyclic voltammetry with voltage compliance of +-8 V and up to 2.4 mA while ensuring tissue-safety conditions. The data acquisition and generation are based on an Analog Discovery 2 platform (Digilent, USA). We provide accuracy analysis and comparisons with a commercially available calibrated impedance analyzer. Impedance measurements are demonstrated on implanted electrodes for neural stimulation and on an isolated ex-vivo calf brain as an example use case of the presented design.

PassStat, a simple but fast, precise and versatile open source potentiostat

This work presents 4 open source potentiostat solutions for performing accurate measurements in cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry at a low price. A very simple and easy to reproduce analogic board (c.a. 10 €) was driven either by a Teensy card from the company PJRC under an Arduino/Python software solution (39 €) or by an Analog Discovery 2 device from Digilent (less than 300 €). A smartphone Bluetooth Android interface was also created to circumvent the use of a computer. We demonstrated that our scheme is suitable for measurements in classical electrochemical conditions but also to carry out experiments with ultramicroelectrodes. We could thus reach a noise resolution of less than 1 pA. Scan rates of 8000 Vs^-1 with ohmic drop compensation were also achieved. The device is suitable for teaching purposes but also for experiments in a participative science context on the ground, or countries with lower financial possibilities.

Determination of Uric Acid in Artificial Saliva with Compact AMP3291 Reader and Au Nanoparticles Modified Electrode

Uric acid (UA) is a residual product of purines in the body and has been proposed as a valuable biomarker for Diabetes Mellitus, renal disorder, hypertension and preeclampsia. This work presents a sensing platform for nonenzymatic UA detection using a screen-printed electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (SPE-AuNps) operated with the compact and low-cost amperometric reader AMP3291. This laboratory-made instrument was designed using the analog front end LMP91000 and the microcontroller ESP32; the operational parameters like working potential, acquisition time and dynamic measuring range were configured for UA detection. The whole sensing system (AMP3291+ SPE-AuNps) was evaluated for nonenzymatic sensing of UA, showing a fast response time of 3.5 s, a sensitivity of 0.022 μA·μM−1, a linear range from 20 to 200 μM (R2 = 0.993) and a limit of detection of 11.91 μM. Throughout, a piece of commercial equipment was used for validation and noticeably the measurements with the AMP3291-based platform showed improved performance, indicating the feasibility of the developed instrument for UA monitoring and potentially for in situ decentralized applications. Finally, artificial saliva was used as model medium exhibiting interesting analytical parameters, encouraging to consider the reported system as a potentially valuable tool for monitoring UA for clinical applications in resource-limited settings.