Electrochromic Sensor for Multiplex Detection of Metabolites Enabled by Closed Bipolar Electrode Coupling

Biosensors based on converting electrochemical signals into optical readouts are attractive candidates as low-cost, high-throughput sensor platforms. Here, we described a closed bipolar electrode (CBE)-based two-cell electrochromic device for sensing multiple metabolites, using the simultaneous detection of lactate, glucose, and uric acid as a model system. In the two-cell configuration, an analytical cell contains a redox mediator combined with a specific oxidase, e.g., lactate oxidase, glucose oxidase, or uricase, to form an electrochemical mediator–electrocatalyst pair that supports redox cycling. A closed bipolar electrode couples the electron transfer event in the analytical cell to an electrochromic reaction in a separate reporter cell, such that the magnitude of the color change is related to the concentration of metabolites in the analytical cell. To demonstrate multiplex operation, the CBE-based electrochromic detector is modified by integrating three sets of detection chemistries into a single device, in which simultaneous determination of glucose, lactate, and uric acid is demonstrated. Device sensitivity can be tuned by using reporter cells with different volumes. Furthermore, the analytical cell of this device can be fabricated as a disposable, paper-based carbon electrode without any pretreatment, demonstrating the potential to screen phenotypes that require multiple biomarkers in a point-of-care format.