Flexible nanosensors for non-invasive creatinine detection based on triboelectric nanogenerator and enzymatic reaction

Abstract A creatinine nanosensor has been developed by PANI (polyaniline) and PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane). The mechanism is attributed to the coupling of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and the creatinine enzymatic reaction. After enzymatic modification, the triboelectric output from PANI and PDMS carries the information of the ambient creatinine concentration, which is due to the change of PANI electroconductivity in the enzymatic reactions. The nanosensors demonstrate high sensitivity at room temperature. The response reaches 51.42 % when creatinine concentration is 10−3 mol/L. Meanwhile, its good selectivity to creatinine is demonstrated compared with NaCl, glucose, and urea. The nanosensor also supports large flexibility in bending angle measurements (10°–40°), thereby potentially allowing creatinine detection in wearable sensing applications. Experimental results show that the flexible nanosensor can offer continuous and non-invasive detection of creatinine, paving the way for electronic skin and self-powered healthcare systems.