Innovative electrochemical device uses standard office paper

Researchers have created three-electrode bioanalytical devices that use ‘off-the-shelf’ products.

In a recent publication in Analyst, a group of researchers from the University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil) present their work on an electrochemical device manufactured from office paper, wax and silver ink. The device was demonstrated to effectively analyze aqueous solutions containing heavy metal ions, halides and explosives.

The device described by the scientists uses standard office paper rather than chromatographic paper, therefore decreasing the cost by 96.7%. In addition, ‘off-the-shelf’ products were used in the manufacture of the device, with implications for production in places without laboratory infrastructure.

To produce the device, wax is first printed onto the paper to form circular hydrophilic cells. A template is then used to paint silver ink onto the paper as electrodes. The resultant three-electrode device can then used in conjunction with a potentiostat to detect analytes in samples.

Looking to the future, the team plan to develop their system to create an alternative test for glucose monitoring in diabetics, working from the traditional glucometer test strips.

Source: Araujo W, Regis T, Paixão LC. Fabrication of disposable electrochemical devices using silver ink and office paper. Analyst DOI: 10.1039/C4AN00097H (Epub ahead of print) (2014).