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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0ACS Omega

Wearable Organic Electrochemical Transistor Biosensor for Real-Time Measurement of Sweat Salinity and Saturation

  • Francesco Gentile1
  • Edmondo Battista2
  • Daniela Cardone2
  • David Perpetuini3
  • Teresa Paolucci4
  • Mirko Pesce5
  • Ayub Alam6,7
  • Valentina Vit6
  • Luigi Bruno8
  • Arcangelo Merla2
  • Nicola Coppedé6
8 affiliations
  1. 1University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro , , Campus Universitario “Salvatore Venuta”, Viale Europa , ,
  2. 2University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara , , Viale Pindaro 42 , ,
  3. 3UniCamillus - Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences , Via di Sant’Alessandro 8 , ,
  4. 4University “G. d’Annunzio” Of Chieti-Pescara , , Via dei Vestini 31 , ,
  5. 5University “G. d’Annunzio” Of Chieti-Pescara , , Via L. Polacchi 11-13 , ,
  6. 6National Research Council of Italy (CNR) , , Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A , ,
  7. 7University of Parma , , Parco Area delle Scienze 17/A , ,
  8. 8University of Calabria , , Via Bucci 44C , , ,
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Abstract

Wearable sweat sensing offers a noninvasive strategy for continuous monitoring of hydration, electrolyte balance, and physiological stress. Here, we demonstrate a flexible textile-based organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) biosensor for real-time quantification of sweat salinity and saturation during physical activity. The device consists of cotton fibers functionalized with the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS, configured as channel and gate electrodes within a biocompatible patch. The gate and drain currents measured by the device in response to sweat are decoded using a mathematical model that estimates both the total salt concentration and the sweat saturation level. Unlike conventional enzymatic or membrane-based sensors, the platform operates without selective coatings, improving robustness, reproducibility, and mechanical stability. In in vitro tests, the device exhibited a linear response in the 10–4 M–1 M concentration range, a limit of detection as low as 10-5 M, and a response time below 40 s. Moreover, the sensor device was validated in three participants during treadmill running sessions lasting up to 1 h. The saturation profiles derived from the sensor showed a very high correlation with facial skin temperature measured by infrared thermography in all participants (up to 0.90), and with heart rate variability (HRV) derived from ECG recordings in two of the three participants (up to 0.86). Cross-correlation analysis revealed that the time lag between the onset of the exercise-induced increase in body temperature and the onset of sweating ranges from 600 to 740 s, in line with values predicted by the literature. These results demonstrate accurate, sensitive, and continuous tracking of sweat dynamics in real time. The proposed wearable OECT platform establishes a robust foundation for biomedical applications including monitoring of hydration disorders, electrolyte imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{gentile2026wearable,
  title = {{Wearable Organic Electrochemical Transistor Biosensor for Real-Time Measurement of Sweat Salinity and Saturation}},
  author = {Francesco Gentile and Edmondo Battista and Daniela Cardone and David Perpetuini and Teresa Paolucci and Mirko Pesce and Ayub Alam and Valentina Vit and Luigi Bruno and Arcangelo Merla and Nicola Coppedé},
  journal = {ACS Omega},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c05587},
  url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c05587/5461939/Wearable-Organic-Electrochemical-Transistor},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Wearable Organic Electrochemical Transistor Biosensor for Real-Time Measurement of Sweat Salinity and Saturation
AU  - Francesco Gentile
AU  - Edmondo Battista
AU  - Daniela Cardone
AU  - David Perpetuini
AU  - Teresa Paolucci
AU  - Mirko Pesce
AU  - Ayub Alam
AU  - Valentina Vit
AU  - Luigi Bruno
AU  - Arcangelo Merla
AU  - Nicola Coppedé
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/01
JO  - ACS Omega
DO  - 10.1021/acsomega.6c05587
UR  - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/doi/10.1021/acsomega.6c05587/5461939/Wearable-Organic-Electrochemical-Transistor
AB  - Wearable sweat sensing offers a noninvasive strategy for continuous monitoring of hydration, electrolyte balance, and physiological stress. Here, we demonstrate a flexible textile-based organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) biosensor for real-time quantification of sweat salinity and saturation during physical activity. The device consists of cotton fibers functionalized with the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS, configured as channel and gate electrodes within a biocompatible patch. The gate and drain currents measured by the device in response to sweat are decoded using a mathematical model that estimates both the total salt concentration and the sweat saturation level. Unlike conventional enzymatic or membrane-based sensors, the platform operates without selective coatings, improving robustness, reproducibility, and mechanical stability. In in vitro tests, the device exhibited a linear response in the 10–4 M–1 M concentration range, a limit of detection as low as 10-5 M, and a response time below 40 s. Moreover, the sensor device was validated in three participants during treadmill running sessions lasting up to 1 h. The saturation profiles derived from the sensor showed a very high correlation with facial skin temperature measured by infrared thermography in all participants (up to 0.90), and with heart rate variability (HRV) derived from ECG recordings in two of the three participants (up to 0.86). Cross-correlation analysis revealed that the time lag between the onset of the exercise-induced increase in body temperature and the onset of sweating ranges from 600 to 740 s, in line with values predicted by the literature. These results demonstrate accurate, sensitive, and continuous tracking of sweat dynamics in real time. The proposed wearable OECT platform establishes a robust foundation for biomedical applications including monitoring of hydration disorders, electrolyte imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, and autonomic dysregulation.
SN  - 2470-1343
ER  -