Most cited article - PubMed ID 31525017
Preserving Fine Structure Details and Dramatically Enhancing Electron Transfer Rates in Graphene 3D-Printed Electrodes via Thermal Annealing: Toward Nitroaromatic Explosives Sensing
In this work, we pioneered the preparation of diamond-containing flexible electrodes using 3D printing technology. The herein developed procedure involves a unique integration of boron-doped diamond (BDD) microparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) within a flexible polymer, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Initially, the process for the preparation of homogeneous filaments with optimal printability was addressed, leading to the development of two TPU/CNT/BDD composite electrodes with different CNT:BDD weight ratios (1:1 and 1:2), which were benchmarked against a TPU/CNT electrode. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a uniform distribution of conductive fillers within the composite materials with no signs of clustering or aggregation. Notably, increasing the proportion of BDD particles led to a 10-fold improvement in conductivity, from 0.12 S m-1 for TPU/CNT to 1.2 S m-1 for TPU/CNT/BDD (1:2). Cyclic voltammetry of the inorganic redox markers, [Ru(NH3)6]3+/2+ and [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-, also revealed a reduction in peak-to-peak separation (ΔE p) with a higher BDD content, indicating enhanced electron transfer kinetics. This was further confirmed by the highest apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants (k 0 app) of 1 × 10-3 cm s-1 obtained for both markers for the TPU/CNT/BDD (1:2) electrode. Additionally, the functionality of the flexible TPU/CNT/BDD electrodes was successfully validated by the electrochemical detection of dopamine, a complex organic molecule, at millimolar concentrations by using differential pulse voltammetry. This proof-of-concept may accelerate development of highly desirable diamond-based flexible devices with customizable geometries and dimensions and pave the way for various applications where flexibility is mandated, such as neuroscience, biomedical fields, health, and food monitoring.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
This manuscript investigates the chemical and structural stability of 3D printing materials (3DPMs) frequently used in electrochemistry. Four 3D printing materials were studied: Clear photopolymer, Elastic photopolymer, PET filament, and PLA filament. Their stability, solubility, structural changes, flexibility, hardness, and color changes were investigated after exposure to selected organic solvents and supporting electrolytes. Furthermore, the available potential windows and behavior of redox probes in selected supporting electrolytes were investigated before and after the exposure of the 3D-printed objects to the electrolytes at various working electrodes. Possible electrochemically active interferences with an origin from the 3DPMs were also monitored to provide a comprehensive outline for the use of 3DPMs in electrochemical platform manufacturing.
3D-printing technology provided numerous contributions to the health sector during the recent Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several of the 3D-printed medical devices like personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators, specimen collectors, safety accessories, and isolation wards/ chambers were printed in a short time as demands for these were rising significantly. The review discusses some of these contributions of 3D-printing that helped to protect several lives during this health emergency. By enlisting some of the significant benefits of using the 3D-printing technique during an emergency over other conventional methods, this review claims that the former opens enormous possibilities in times of serious shortage of supply and exceeding demands. This review acknowledges the collaborative approaches adopted by individuals, entrepreneurs, academicians, and companies that helped in forming a global network for delivering 3D-printed medical/non-medical components, when other supply chains were disrupted. The collaboration of the 3D-printing technology with the global health community unfolds new and significant opportunities in the future.
- Keywords
- 3D‐printing, COVID‐19, medical urgency, pandemic, personal protective equipment, swabs, ventilators,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
