A wearable PEDTM/rGO/AuNPs non-enzymatic sensor integrated with nanofiber microfluidic chip for sweat collection and continuous glucose monitoring
Abstract
Wearable sweat sensors offer a promising technical approach for real-time personal health management due to their non-invasive, in situ, and continuous monitoring capabilities. This study presents a novel wearable non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor based on a PEDTM/rGO/AuNPs composite for continuous and non-invasive monitoring of sweat glucose. Leveraging the synergistic effects of hydroxymethyl-functionalized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDTM), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), the sensor significantly improves the electrocatalytic oxidation efficiency of glucose. At a low working potential of 0.2 V, the sensor demonstrates high sensitivity (362 µA·mM− 1·cm− 2) and a low detection limit (6.2 µM). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal the synergistic catalytic mechanism of the composite at the oxidation pathway level. To achieve stable and efficient sweat collection and real‑time analysis, the sensor is integrated with a microfluidic chip based on SDS/NaOH/PI nanofibers and a portable point-of-care testing (POCT) system, enabling on‑site visual monitoring of sweat glucose. Real‑time monitoring results indicate a strong correlation between the sweat glucose levels measured by the sensor and blood glucose concentrations. This work provides an effective material and device design strategy for constructing high‑performance, integrated non‑invasive glucose monitoring systems, offering significant theoretical value and application potential in the field of wearable health monitoring.