Microscale Sensor Arrays for the Detection of Dopamine Using PEDOT:PSS Organic Electrochemical Transistors

Abstract

We present a sensor array of microscale organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) using poly (3,4−ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) as the channel material. The devices show high sensitivity and selectivity to detect dopamine (DA) with platinum (Pt) as a pseudo−reference gate electrode. First, we describe the wafer−scale fabrication process for manufacturing the PEDOT:PSS OECTs, and then we introduce a dilution method to adjust the thickness of the PEDOT:PSS film. Next, we investigate the effect of the film thickness on the sensitivity of DA detection. Reducing the film thickness enhances the sensitivity of DA detection within the concentration range of 1 μM to 100 μM. The OECTs show impressive sensitivitywith a limit of detection (LoD) as low as 1 nM and a high selectivity against uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA). Finally, we modify the surface of the Pt gate electrode with chitosan to improve the selectivity of OECTs at high concentrations of up to 100 µM to expand the detection range.

Keywords

• PEDOT:PSS
• organic electrochemical transistor
• dopamine
• real-time measurement
• chitosan