A wearable 3D nanostructured Ni-MOF electrochemical sensor integrated with Janus fabric for sweat collecting and nutrients detecting

Detecting sweat nutrients provides significant information into metabolic cycling and health status. Rapid collection of sweat, prevention of sweat backflow, and avoidance of sweat contamination are essential for electrochemical detection of sweat composition. Herein, this study investigated a wearable sweat sensor which bridged the gap between sweat collection and sensitive electrochemical biosensing of sweat nutrients. Inspired by lotus leaf, the bioinspired Janus cotton fabric (PCL/Ag@CF) with asymmetric wettability showed unidirectional water transport (UWT) performance, water vapor permeability and antibacterial properties, which could create a dry and comfortable microenvironment on the skin surface. Meanwhile, the three-dimensional (3D) porous cauliflower-like nanostructured nickel metal-organic framework Ni₃(HITP)₂ (Ni-MOF) composite was utilized to monitor ascorbic acid (AA) successfully, yet the Ni-MOF modified by glucose oxidase displayed good glucose sensing performance. Besides, the wearable sweat sensor including Janus fabric and electrochemical sensor detected AA and glucose in human sweat successfully, which illustrated the practical suitability for health monitoring. Thus, the wearable sweat sensor offered a potential approach for human health monitoring and point-of-care diagnosis using user-friendly technology.