Preface

The development of disposable sensors that can be commercialized as preliminary diagnostic tools in the healthcare sector is of scientific interest as well as being the most active part of electrochemical research. This book provides the ideas of electrochemical science with insights on the challenges faced of different materials involved in the fabrication of disposable sensors. The book also details their printing methodology using micro-nanoelectrodes, novel sensing materials, integration with miniaturized transduction systems, novel sensing strategy, that is, System-on-a-Chip (SoC), Diagnostic-on-a-Chip (DoC), and Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) in the clinical field for the detection of variety of biomolecules that are in current use by clinicians. The entire fabrication method will be given in depth for ease of understanding for academics as well as non-academics to aid future research. Affordable and portable devices with biodegradability, biocompatibility, worldwide abundance and high stability are the key requirements of disposable sensors. The emerging disposable sensors are rigid substrates to flexible materials like screen printed paper, stress ball, wearable cloth, OHP sheets, graphite-led and 3D printed electrodes for healthcare applications and are focussed on throughout the book.

This book covers the advancements in portable devices using various materials on disposable electrodes; in particular, in the health sector and the need for an analytical device to monitor diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, nerve disorders, cancer, etc.). The book consists of fifteen chapters. Chapter 1 is the overview, design and fabrication of disposable sensors, where the detailed information and the importance of disposable electrochemical sensors in healthcare field is discussed. Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 explain the role of carbon-based materials such as carbon nanotubes, mesoporous carbon, graphene and other graphitic materials with its mechanism and how to use these systems as disposable sensors. Chapters 6 and 7 critically delivers the overall understanding of metal oxides and metal nanoparticles as disposable sensors. Chapters 8 and 9 provide details on two new emerging areas: metal chalcogenides and metal–organic frameworks in disposable sensors for healthcare monitoring, providing information on the development of these breakthrough sensors. Chapters 10 and 11 details information on conducting polymers and quantum dots based disposable electrodes for the detection of various target biomolecules. Chapter 13 involves a representative discussion on developing conventional MXenes-based sensors into a disposable sensor benefiting the urgency need in the healthcare sector. Finally, chapters 14 and 15 provide conclusions drawn from the above-mentioned discussions and give directions for any future research.

The journey of this book started with the search of experts in the field. The 15 chapters will hopefully enlighten the spirit and interests on biomarker detection using disposable sensors for readers from various fields. We hope that this book will be a guiding star for the next decade of research in the field of disposable electrochemical biosensors in the healthcare field. We are fortunate to have assembled contributions from leading experts in the field, and we are grateful to all contributors of this book.

Dr A. Pandikumar

Dr K.S. Shalini Devi

Electro Organic and Materials Electrochemistry Division

CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute

Karaikudi-630003, Tamil Nadu, India