Screen-Printed Electrodes: Fabrication, Modification, and Biosensing Applications

Abstract

As electrochemical measuring instruments, screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are constructed via a technology called thick film deposition onto plastic or ceramic substrates, allowing for simple, inexpensive, and rapid on-site analysis with high reproducibility, sensitivity, and accuracy. Numerous substances such as gold, silver, platinum, and carbon are applied for electrode construction, enabling the analyst to design the best device based on its purpose to determine an analyte’s selectivity and sensitivity. Thus, in the current review, we report the latest results and analyses conducted over the past eight years (2015–2022) on the expansion of SPE electrochemical biosensors, including aptasensors, immunosensors, DNA sensors, and enzymatic biosensors. Such expansion has resulted in new possibilities for the identification, distinction, and quantification of biocompounds, drugs, enzymes, etc. Therefore, in this paper, we review the role of different nanomaterials in manufacturing on-screen electrode methods as well as strategies for the future stable diagnosis of biorecognition elements.

Colloidal Quantum Dots for Explosive Detection: Trends and Perspectives

“…with high versatility of the design. 122,123 As well as the traditional WE, the surface of SPEs can be easily modified with different nanomaterials to allow selectivity toward specific analytes.…”

“…In a typical SPE configuration (shown in Figure A), the electrochemical cell is printed on a solid flat substrate (such as ceramic, plastic, or paper) by depositing a combination of layers of different materials (carbon, gold, silver, platinum, etc.) with high versatility of the design. , As well as the traditional WE, the surface of SPEs can be easily modified with different nanomaterials to allow selectivity toward specific analytes.…”

Boron Carbon Nitride-Assisted Electro-Functionalization of Screen-Printed Electrode for Tryptophan Sensing

“…Electrochemical sensors have firmly invaded the chemical sensing domain over the past decades owing to their on-site applicability, low-cost, facile fabrication, high sensitivity, and selectivity. − Nevertheless, their performance and applicability are widely dependent on the scaffold that provides the interface for electrochemical processes, precisely on the working electrode in the three-electrode system. Compared to the conventional three-electrode system, the invention of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) has revolutionized the commercial deployment of electrochemical sensors for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of numerous food toxicants, environmental pollutants, industrial toxicants, and essential biological molecules. − It offers several benefits, like low sample volume requirement, tender pre-treatment or cleaning protocols, and portability for point-of-care (PoC) devices. Interestingly, the sensitivity and stability of SPEs can be amplified by tailoring the electrode/analyte interface using materials that offer better conductivity, superior charge transfer, greater surface area, high stability, and desired specificity via surface functionalization.…”

Graphene Pseudoreference Electrode for the Development of a Practical Paper-Based Electrochemical Heavy Metal Sensor

“…or metallic forms such as gold, silver, and platinum . Various carbon-based materials, including graphene and its derivatives, − are often used as WE and CE because they possess exceptional features in electrochemistry including high conductivity and low background current. Moreover, the inks allow plenty of simple surface modifications such as metal depositions and composites self-assembling, which promote the sensitivity and selectivity of detection while providing simplicity of fabrication and importantly contributing to lower prices.…”