Rigorous Benchmarking of Continuous Dry-Printed CNT Networks as High-Performance Electrochemical Sensors

Abstract In this study, we present a systematic evaluation of the electrochemical performance of floating catalyst chemical vapor deposited carbon nanotubes (FCCVD-CNTs) and compare their performance against conventional carbon, gold, and platinum electrodes. Differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry were employed to detect well-established benchmark redox species, such as methylene blue, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), and acetaminophen (commonly known as paracetamol), in both buffer and human plasma, serving as proof-of-concept for the proposed approach. The FCCVD-CNTs achieved superior electrochemical sensor performance metrics, such as their signal-to-noise ratio, signal-to-background ratio, and detection limit, highlighting their potential as a novel material to redefine sensing standards in complex biological environments. Recognizing the challenges associated with processing an electrode material into a scalable, robust, high-performance, ready-to-use platform, particularly in the form of a miniaturized electrochemical cell such as a screen-printed electrode (SPE), we benchmarked our FCCVD-CNT-based dry-printed electrode (DPE) against commercially available, ink processed SPEs to assess its practical suitability for biosensing applications. The obtained results corroborate the capability of the CNT DPEs as a robust alternative for biosensing applications in a clinically representative matrix.