Ti₃C₂T x MXene-Enhanced Paper-Based Ion-Selective Electrodes for Sweat Sodium Monitoring.
9 affiliations
- 1Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80131, Italy.
- 2Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
- 3Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
- 4Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples 80126, Italy.
- 5Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
- 6Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration, and Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1910, United States.
- 7Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States.
- 8Bioelectronics Task Force at University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 21, Naples 80126, Italy.
- 9Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
Abstract
Electrolyte balance plays a fundamental role in maintaining physiological homeostasis, as ionic fluctuations regulate cellular excitability, osmotic gradients, and neuromuscular signaling. Among electrolytes, sodium (Na⁺) is a critical biomarker for hydration status and several pathological conditions, including dehydration and cystic fibrosis. Here, this is the first report of Ti₃C₂T x MXene integrated as a solid-contact transducer on a paper-based screen-printed electrode (MPSPE) for ion-selective sensing of Na⁺ in sweat. The platform combines the sustainability and intrinsic capillarity of paper substrates with the exceptional electrical conductivity and surface reactivity of Ti₃C₂T x MXene. Prior to MXene deposition, oxygen plasma treatment was applied to improve surface hydrophilicity and promote homogeneous film formation. The optimized configuration, based on office paper modified with 3 mg mL⁻¹ MXene, exhibited a near-Nernstian slope of 0.0637 V/decade and an excellent linear correlation (R ² = 0.98) over the tested Na⁺ range (1-150 mM). The calculated limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.35 mM and 1.16 mM, respectively, while the coefficient of variation (%CV) was found to be 7.2%, confirming outstanding repeatability. The electrode demonstrated high selectivity toward Na⁺ over K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ (log Kpot Na,j < -0.5). Validation with real sweat samples revealed an excellent correlation with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) reference method (R ² = 0.96, mean correlation ≈ 99%). These results highlight the potential of MXene-modified paper electrodes as a low-cost, disposable, and environmentally friendly analytical platform for point-of-care electrolyte monitoring.
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BibTeX
@article{cimmino2026ti₃c₂t,
title = {{Ti₃C₂T x MXene-Enhanced Paper-Based Ion-Selective Electrodes for Sweat Sodium Monitoring.}},
author = {Wanda Cimmino and Md Abu Zahed and Michele Spinelli and Angela Amoresano and Jimin Jung and Flavia Vitale and Stefano Cinti},
journal = {ACS measurement science au},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.6c00137},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921092},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ti₃C₂T x MXene-Enhanced Paper-Based Ion-Selective Electrodes for Sweat Sodium Monitoring.
AU - Wanda Cimmino
AU - Md Abu Zahed
AU - Michele Spinelli
AU - Angela Amoresano
AU - Jimin Jung
AU - Flavia Vitale
AU - Stefano Cinti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - ACS measurement science au
DO - 10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.6c00137
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921092
AB - Electrolyte balance plays a fundamental role in maintaining physiological homeostasis, as ionic fluctuations regulate cellular excitability, osmotic gradients, and neuromuscular signaling. Among electrolytes, sodium (Na⁺) is a critical biomarker for hydration status and several pathological conditions, including dehydration and cystic fibrosis. Here, this is the first report of Ti₃C₂T x MXene integrated as a solid-contact transducer on a paper-based screen-printed electrode (MPSPE) for ion-selective sensing of Na⁺ in sweat. The platform combines the sustainability and intrinsic capillarity of paper substrates with the exceptional electrical conductivity and surface reactivity of Ti₃C₂T x MXene. Prior to MXene deposition, oxygen plasma treatment was applied to improve surface hydrophilicity and promote homogeneous film formation. The optimized configuration, based on office paper modified with 3 mg mL⁻¹ MXene, exhibited a near-Nernstian slope of 0.0637 V/decade and an excellent linear correlation (R ² = 0.98) over the tested Na⁺ range (1-150 mM). The calculated limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.35 mM and 1.16 mM, respectively, while the coefficient of variation (%CV) was found to be 7.2%, confirming outstanding repeatability. The electrode demonstrated high selectivity toward Na⁺ over K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ (log Kpot Na,j < -0.5). Validation with real sweat samples revealed an excellent correlation with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) reference method (R ² = 0.96, mean correlation ≈ 99%). These results highlight the potential of MXene-modified paper electrodes as a low-cost, disposable, and environmentally friendly analytical platform for point-of-care electrolyte monitoring.
SN - 2694-250X
ER -