A flexible and conductive paper electrode based on PEDOT:PSS and platinum nanohybrids for glucose detection

Diabetes mellitus is a significant global chronic endocrine and metabolic disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Accurate measurement of glucose levels in patients is of paramount importance. This study presents the development of a flexible and conductive paper-based (FCPAD) electrode composed of PEDOT:PSS and platinum nanohybrids for the electrochemical determination of glucose. The conductivity of the FCPAD electrode was assessed under various bending angles and durations. The findings revealed that the conductivity of the FCPAD electrode remained largely stable after exposure to bending at 180 degrees and after 1200 bending cycles. Additionally, the electrode demonstrated long-term stability, maintaining its conductivity for over 30 days. Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and glucose oxidase (GOx) were immobilized on the FCPAD electrode to fabricate a GOx/PtNPs/FCPAD glucose sensor. The electrochemical behavior and detection performance of the GOx/PtNPs/FCPAD glucose sensor were subsequently evaluated. This glucose electrode exhibited a high sensitivity of 21.17 µA mM −1 (equivalent to 1058 μA mM −1  cm −2 ), along with a broad detection range of 0.02 to 5 mM, and a limit of detection of 2.7 µM. Moreover, the sensor exhibited exceptional repeatability, robustness against interference, and consistent stability throughout subsequent evaluations. It was effectively utilized for the quantitative analysis of glucose in both artificial sweat and artificial urine. The GOx/PtNPs/FCPAD electrode is expected to be employed in wearable flexible electrochemical sensors for the real-time monitoring of glucose concentrations in sweat.