On-Fiber Galvanic Cell as a Self-Powered Electrochemical Sensor

The work provides insights into the development of electrochemical (bio)sensing platforms, with a focus on self-powering concept and the galvanic bipolar electrode design.

Self-powered sensing based on the galvanic cell mechanism has received considerable attention due to its potential for improving energy and material efficiency while facilitating the miniaturization of sensor analysis. The study compared modification methods and properties of Prussian blue (PB)-based nanozyme electrocatalysts on flexible carbon fibers (CFs) to identify efficient cathodes for a CF H₂O₂ self-powered electrochemical sensor (SPES). The study proposed a method for the in situ synthesis and modification of CFs with the rGO-PB nanocomposite as a cathode catalyst. The analytical characteristics of the SPESs with various CF cathode modifications were determined. The results were used to demonstrate the concept of an on-fiber galvanic cell as a CF galvanic bipolar electrode (GBPE) SPES. This showed that a single CF conductor—modified with cathode and anode catalysts at its two segments to form a galvanic cell—can function as a SPES when the current between the modified segments is measured. The novel on-fiber GBPE SPESs with PB_el cathode segments and Ag/AgCl anode segments achieved a detection limit of 4 µM and a sensitivity of (−0.07) A M⁻¹ in diluted human serum. This study highlights the potential for using modified flexible CFs as GBPEs for energy-efficient SPES platforms.

Publication: Yuxin Liu, Andreas Offenhäusser, Yulia Mourzina, On-Fiber Galvanic Cell as a Galvanic Bipolar Electrode for Self-Powered Electrochemical Sensing. Analysis & Sensing 2026, 6, e70127. DOI: 10.1002/anse.70127

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