Functionalized graphenes for ink technologies

Descripción del proyecto

Un nuevo proceso para plataformas de biosensores electroquímicos sostenibles

El avance de las tecnologías de sensores ha sido revolucionario en diversos sectores y ámbitos de investigación, lo que ha permitido mejorar la supervisión y la detección, fundamentales para muchos procesos y tareas de mantenimiento. Dichas tecnologías no han dejado de mejorar y se han convertido en esenciales en varios campos, ofreciendo soluciones prometedoras a los retos actuales, como la necesidad de disponer de sensores «in situ» y de fácil lectura para analizar los alimentos, el aire, el agua potable o el medio ambiente. El proyecto GRADINK, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, desarrollará y ampliará un proceso de fabricación para crear plataformas de biosensores electroquímicos ecológicas, versátiles y sensibles, abordando las limitaciones actuales en la construcción de electrodos de biosensores electroquímicos.

Objetivo

GRADERINK addresses the pressing need for development of novel inks that can be utilized for inkjet printing of stable, selective, sensitive, and eco-friendly electrodes. Project aims to deliver the upscaling of an industrially relevant novel manufacturing process for graphene-derivative based ink, enabling a significant progress in the printing technologies for versatile electrochemical biosensing platform. Such platform can be utilized for a wide range of medicinally, environmentally and food/water-safety related analytes, such as microbes, antibiotics, pesticides, disease markers, just to name a few.

The maintenance of a healthy society necessitates not only monitoring human body status but also screening food, drinking water, air, and environment. Such monitoring requires immediate, on-site, and easy-to-read sensing technologies. Electrochemical biosensors represent an ideal sensing platform because they transduce a specific biochemical event to an electrical signal, which can be readily recorded and processed. The key component of electrochemical biosensors is the electrode, which is used as a solid support for the immobilization of biomolecules and electron movement. Graphene-based materials are ideally suitable for the construction of electrochemical biosensor electrodes because they offer high surface area, unique electrochemical properties, and high biocompatibility.

However, graphene itself enables only limited applications and the patterning of graphene-based electrodes remains unsolved challenge. Digital printing technologies represent a novel strategy for patterning of electrodes. Their use, however, requires stable, robust and sustainable inks which are not yet commercially available.

GRADERINK’s goal will be achieved through the implementation of cost-effective materials and processes along with taking TRL of the developed technology from 2 to 4, thus shaping a significant business opportunity.