3D-drawn supports for ion-selective electrodes

A new concept of easy to make, potentially disposable potentiometric sensors is presented. A thermoprocessable carbon black-loaded, electronically conducting, polylactide polymer composite was used to prepare substrate electrodes of user’s defined shape/arrangement applying a 3D pen in a hot melt process. Covering of the carbon black-loaded polylactide 3D-drawn substrate electrode with a PVC-based ion-selective membrane cocktail results in spontaneous formation of a zip-lock structure with a large contact area. Thus, obtained ion-selective electrodes offer sensors of excellent performance, including potential stability expressed by SD of the mean value of potential recorded equal to ±1.0 mV (n = 6) within one day and ±1.5 mV (n = 6) between five days. The approach offers also high device-to-device potential reproducibility: SD of mean value of E0 equal to ±1.5 mV (n = 5).