Fabrication of sensors by 3D printing combines speed, freedom of design, and the possibility of using waste as a substrate. Various results have been obtained in a circular economy mode, whereby residues usually thrown away are instead used as low-cost resources.
A highly creative solution involving the printing of electrochemical sensors on fallen tree leaves has now been presented by a team of researchers in Brazil led by Bruno Janegitz, a professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and head of its Laboratory for Sensors, Nanomedicines, and Nanostructured Materials (LSNANO), and Thiago Paixão, a professor at the University of São Paulo (USP) and head of its Electronic Tongues and Chemical Sensors Lab (L2ESQ).
The initiative was highlighted in an article published in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
"We used a CO 2 laser to print the design of interest on a leaf by means of pyrolysis and carbonization. We thereby obtained an electrochemical sensor for use in determining levels of dopamine and paracetamol. It's very easy to operate. A drop of the…
José Tadeu Arantes