Highly loaded mildly edge-oxidized graphene nanosheet dispersions for large-scale inkjet printing of electrochemical sensors

Abstract

Inkjet printing of electrochemical sensors using a highly loaded mildly edge-oxidized graphene nanosheet (EOGN) ink is presented. An ink with 30 mg/mL EOGNs is formulated in a mixture of N-methyl pyrrolidone and propylene glycol with only 30 min of sonication. The absence of additives, such as polymeric stabilizers or surfactants, circumvents reduced electrochemical activity of coated particles and avoids harsh post-printing conditions for additive removal. A single light pulse from a xenon flash lamp dries the printed EGON film within a fraction of a second and creates a compact electrode surface. An accurate coverage with only 30.4 μg of EOGNs per printed layer and cm is achieved. The EOGN films adhere well to flexible polyimide substrates in aqueous solution. Electrochemical measurements were performed using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. An all inkjet-printed three-electrode living bacterial cell detector is prepared with EOGN working and counter electrodes and silver-based quasi-reference electrode. The presence of E. coli in liquid samples is recorded with four electroactive metabolic activity indicators.