Free-standing, flexible and conformable bilayered polymeric nanomembranes modified with gold nanomaterials as electronic skin sensors

Skin is a barrier that protects us against physical, chemical and biological agents. However, any damage to the skin can disrupt this barrier and therefore compromise its function leading to sometimes catastrophic consequences like sepsis. Thus, methods to detect early signs of infection are necessa...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Colombi, Samuele|||0000-0001-7281-9443, Alemán Llansó, Carlos|||0000-0003-4462-6075, García Torres, José Manuel|||0000-0002-3996-0274
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/425816
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/425816
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114558
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palabra clave:Bilayered nanomembranes
PANI
PLA
Gold nanowires
Free-standing films
PH and NADH sensors
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials::Materials plàstics i polímers
Descripción
Sumario:Skin is a barrier that protects us against physical, chemical and biological agents. However, any damage to the skin can disrupt this barrier and therefore compromise its function leading to sometimes catastrophic consequences like sepsis. Thus, methods to detect early signs of infection are necessary. In this work, we have developed a straightforward method for producing 2D nanomembranes with regularly spaced 1D metallic nanostructures integrating sensing capabilities to pH and NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which are critical analytes revealing infection. To achieve this, we have successfully fabricated a bilayered nanomembrane combining a pH-responsive polyaniline (PANI) layer and a nanoperforated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) layer containing gold nanowires (Au NWs) as NADH sensing element. SEM, FTIR, Raman and AFM techniques revealed the formation of the bilayered PANI/PLA nanomembrane and the successful incorporation of the Au NWs inside the nanoperforations. The resulting bilayered nanomembrane showed significant flexibility and conformability onto different substrates due to the softness of the polymers and the ultrathin thickness with stiffness values similar to human skin. These nanomembranes also exhibited remarkable electrochemical sensing performance towards pH and NADH detection. Thus, the nanomembrane displayed linearity with good sensitivity (47¿mV¿pH-1) in the critical pH range 4–10 and fast response time (10¿s). On the other hand, PANI/PLA-Au nanomembranes also allowed the quantitative sensing of NADH with a limit of detection of 0.39¿mM and a sensitivity of 1¿µA¿cm-2 mM-1 in the concentration range 0–5¿mM.