Highly flexible and conductive poly (3, 4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly (styrene sulfonate) anchored 3-dimensional porous graphene network-based electrochemical biosensor for glucose and pH detection in human perspiration

The patterned LIG flakes are generally not interconnected due to the line gap of the laser ray, leading to lower uniform conductivity and fragile graphene. Thus, the fabrication of a highly conductive and mechanically robust LIG-based biosensing platform remains challenging. In this study, the fabrication of a flexible electrochemical biosensor is reported based on poly (3, 4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) modified 3-dimensional (3D) stable porous laser-induced graphene (LIG) for the detection of glucose and pH. PEDOT:PSS was spray-coated on the LIG to improve electrode robustness and deliver uniform electrical conductivity. The as-prepared PEDOT:PSS modified LIG (PP/LIG) was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Platinum and palladium nanoparticles (Pt@Pd) were successfully electrodeposited on PP/LIG, markedly enhancing the electrocatalytic activity for glucose detection. The fabricated biosensor exhibited an excellent amperometric response to glucose with a wide linear range of 10 μM − 9.2 mM, a high sensitivity of 247.3 μAmM−1cm−2, and a low detection limit (LOD) of 3 μM, with high selectivity. In addition, the pH sensor was functionalized by the polyaniline (PANI) on PP/LIG, and it also exhibited excellent potentiometric response with a high sensitivity of 75.06 mV/pH in the linear range of pH 4 − 7. Ultimately, the feasibility of the biosensor was confirmed by the analysis of human perspiration collected during physical exercise. This approach validates the utility of the novel fabrication procedure, and the potential of the LIG-conductive polymer composite for biosensing applications. •Novel electrochemical biosensor was developed based on PEDOT:PSS modified mechanically robust laser-induced graphene (LIG)•The sensing platform was fabricated by the spray coating of the PEDOT:PSS onto the surface of LIG.•PEDOT:PSS modified LIG provided a suitable surface for further modification with nanoparticles and sensing membranes.•The fabricated biosensor performed well with a wide linear range, high sensitivity, and high selectivity.•The feasibility of the biosensor was successfully demonstrated using human perspiration samples.