Modular graphene mediator film-based electrochemical pocket device for chlorpyrifos determination

In this work, a redox-graphene (Rx-Gr) film with electron-mediating ability has been integrated into a modular flexible pocket device, giving rise to a reusable biosensing platform. The Rx-Gr has been obtained in water from graphite taking advantage of catechin, a redox-antioxidant, able to assist the sonochemical layered-material exfoliation, conferring electron mediating feature. A film composed exclusively of Rx-Gr has been transferred via thermal rolling onto a flexible PET-support that was used as the biosensor base. The biosensing platform, composed of office-grade materials, was then fabricated using a cutter plotter and assembled by thermal lamination; an interchangeable paper-based strip was used to host the enzymatic reaction and drive the capillary flow. An acetylcholinesterase-based inhibition assay has been optimized onboard the pocket device to determine chlorpyriphos, a widespread environmental pesticide. The proposed set-up allows the determination of chlorpyriphos at low overpotential (0.2 V) with satisfactory sensitivity (LOD = 0.2 ppb), thanks to the straightforward electroactivity of the Rx-Gr film towards thiocholine (enzymatic product). The modular design allows 5 consecutive complete inhibition assays (control + inhibition measure) retaining the performance (RSD = 5.4%; n = 5). The coupling of bench-top technologies and a new functional graphene film resulted in the development of a cost-effective, reusable, transportable, and within everyone's reach biosensing platform.