Non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensing using flexible rGO/AgNW@PANI composite films on nylon substrates

Abstract

A flexible non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensor was developed using rGO/AgNW@PANI composite films deposited on nylon substrates. The hybrid rGO/AgNW@PANI film serves as both a conductive and sensing layer, in which the rGO and Ag nanowires establish an efficient electron-transfer network, while polyaniline contributes electroactive sites that facilitate glucose oxidation in synergy with the composite architecture. The chemical composition and microstructural features of the composite films were confirmed by FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS, and XPS analyses. The resulting sensor exhibits a linear electrochemical response to glucose over a concentration range of 0.01–0.1 mM (R² = 0.99), with a sensitivity of 2.9 mA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², a detection limit of 0.01 mM, and a rapid response time in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution (pH ≈ 6.5). Additionally, the flexible sensor demonstrates excellent mechanical robustness and long-term stability during repeated glucose sensing. These results highlight the potential of flexible rGO/AgNW@PANI composite films on nylon substrates as a promising platform for non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensing, with potential relevance to future flexible and wearable sensing applications.