Development of a Low-Cost and Easy-to-Prepare Carbon-Based Ink for Printed Electrodes Using Pet as Support

Abstract

This study presents the development of a low-cost, easy-to-prepare carbon-based ink for printed electrodes using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the support material. The ink was composed of graphite and cellulose acetate (80 : 20%) mixed with acetone and cyclohexanone as solvents. The screen-printing technique, a versatile and economical method that allows the printing of high-thickness films, was used to produce the sensor. The developed sensor was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), demonstrating good electrochemical behavior with a well-defined peak corresponding to the redox probe and a low background current. The optimization process focused on analyzing and discussing the ink manufacturing process and characterizing the materials used. The performance of the fabricated printed electrode was evaluated using a potassium ferrocyanide probe as a model redox system. The proposed sensor has the potential for use in electroanalytical determinations and can be produced at a low cost of US$ 0.897 per unit. This study aims to contribute to the development of printed sensors that can be produced on a large scale, are disposable, and can be used to determine different analytes.