Cost-Effective Electrodes for Dopamine Monitoring Based On 3D-Printed Support Combined with Composite Material

Abstract

The development of a disposable electrode (US$ 0.02) based on composite material on 3D-printed support of ABS is described for the electrochemical determination of Dopamine. The composition was optimized using different ratios of graphite and nail polish. An electrochemical surface treatment with potassium hydroxide was evaluated. The electrode surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance and Raman spectroscopy, which indicate better performance of the treated electrode, with a 1.9-fold increase in the response and anticipation in the potential of 107 mV. The sensors were employed to quantification of DOP using differential pulse voltammetry in pharmaceutical formulations, tap water, synthetic urine, and saliva. Furthermore, the proposed method showed a linear working range from 10 to 175 µmol L-1 and 0.02 to 10 µmol L-1, a limit of detection of 2.24 µmol L-1 and 5.7 nmol L-1 and relative standard deviation < 1.7% and < 4.4% for the untreated treated electrode respectively. Moreover, the samples were spiked in three concentration levels to evaluate the method’s accuracy, obtaining recovery values ranging from 90.7 to 106.3%. These results allow inferring that the electrochemical devices approach combing 3D-printed systems and composite materials proved promising for routine analysis.