Additive-manufactured (3D-printed) electrochemical sensors: A critical review

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 1118; pp. 73 - 91
• Main Authors: Cardoso, Rafael M., Kalinke, Cristiane, Rocha, Raquel G., dos Santos, Pãmyla L., Rocha, Diego P., Oliveira, Paulo R., Janegitz, Bruno C., Bonacin, Juliano A., Richter, Eduardo M., Munoz, Rodrigo A.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 29-06-2020
• Subjects: 3D-printing; Additive manufacture; Electroanalysis; Fused deposition modeling; Portable systems; Sensing; Sensing; Electroanalysis; Fused deposition modeling; Additive manufacture; 3D-printing; Portable systems
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.03.028

Additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D)-printing is an emerging technology that has been applied in the development of novel materials and devices for a wide range of applications, including Electrochemistry and Analytical Chemistry areas. This review article focuses on the contributions of 3D-printing technology to the development of electrochemical sensors and complete electrochemical sensing devices. Due to the recent contributions of 3D-printing within this scenario, the aim of this review is to present a guide for new users of 3D-printing technology considering the required features for improved electrochemical sensing using 3D-printed sensors. At the same time, this is a comprehensive review that includes most 3D-printed electrochemical sensors and devices already reported using selective laser melting (SLM) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printers. The latter is the most affordable 3D-printing technique and for this reason has been more often applied for the fabrication of electrochemical sensors, also due to commercially-available conductive and non-conductive filaments. Special attention is given to critically discuss the need for the surface treatment of FDM 3D-printed platforms to improve their electrochemical performance. The insertion of biochemical and chemical catalysts on the 3D-printed surfaces are highlighted as well as novel strategies to fabricate filaments containing chemical modifiers within the polymeric matrix. Some examples of complete electrochemical sensing systems obtained by 3D-printing have successfully demonstrated the enormous potential to develop portable devices for on-site applications. The freedom of design enabled by 3D-printing opens many possibilities of forthcoming investigations in the area of analytical electrochemistry.
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•We review the contributions of 3D-printing to fabricate electrochemical sensors.•Different 3D-printing methods are compared highlighting fused deposition modeling (FDM).•Surface treatment and modification with (bio)chemical mediators for improved performance.•Strategies for fabrication of conductive filaments are presented for future applications.•3D-printing of all-in-one electrochemical devices in different designs are assessed.