Solvent-resistant carbon electrodes screen printed onto plastic for use in biosensors

A three electrode design using solvent resistant materials is reported, enabling the production of screen printed electrodes for use in biosensor applications involving water-miscible organic solvents. Heat stabilised polyester sheets were used as base materials in combination with carbon basal tracks and an epoxy-based polymer protective coating. The new electrodes avoid problems with solvent induced baseline shifts displayed by conventional screen-printed electrodes. The material for the underlying basal track has been changed from silver to carbon ink to reduce the number of materials involved in the production and avoid possible interferences. In addition, the design is readily applied in biosensor applications. Different methods for the incorporation of a rhodium catalyst are discussed. The application of the electrode system modified with the rhodium catalyst for the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide in different concentrations of methanol, isopropanol and ethanol is demonstrated.