Graphenicalab S.L., Spain
The SEAWIZARD project delivered new graphene-based sensors and printed manufacturing methodologies and technologies, which improve state of the art results and deliver a proof of-concept demonstrator for tracking of heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd) in marine water and key interferents (temperature and pH) on a much smaller temporal and spatial scales than the ones made possible by the current technological state.
- The project demo is a low-cost small flexible foil that has 5 printed sensors able to monitor Hg, Pd and Cd ions in marine water autonomously.
- Using tailored designed graphene printed materials, printed sensors achieve higher specificity and higher sensitivity.
- Being low cost, flexible, compact and thin layer, it contrasts with common sensor probes commonly used that are rigid and bulky.
Functionality
The flexible sensor foil is integrated with a fluidic circuit and a control electronics to be able to be operated in field autonomously and remotely. Demo will be the sensor chip with a continuous closed clean water circuit flowing water through the chip chamber. Heavy metal monitoring graphical representation in a tablet pc.
Benefits of the project
Graphene is a substance with exceptional properties composed of pure carbon with a structure consisting of a single layer of
atoms, 100 times stronger than steel and 5 times lighter than aluminum. Even so, only a few very specific applications can
be developed today with pure graphene due to the great challenges of handling it. On the other hand, Graphene oxide (GO) is a
composition related to pure graphene, sharing many of its properties, but unlike pure graphene, it is much easier to obtain.2 Graphene oxide is presented as a dispersion of mono-molecular particles of graphite oxide in solution. As such, it can be
deposited on a multitude of materials in layers that give the carriers new optical, electrical and physical properties of great
interest for a multitude of industrial applications. Current developments in graphene-related applications, including those
developed by GraphenicaLab, are using graphene oxide and making tailor made functionalization in this starting material,
specifically targeting heavy metal species, in SEAWizard project.
In SEAWIZARD project, functionalized graphene will be integrated into printed electrochemical sensor devices to detect
heavy metals in marine environment. The principle of operation involves the fact that the molecules used to functionalize
graphene capture the target species with high specificity, which in turn causes changes in the electrical characteristics of
graphene (e.g., the location of the Dirac point), which are subsequently detected as a change in the current-voltage (I-V)
characteristics. GL sensor characteristics associated with its graphene functionalized sensor were successfully detecting
Hg, Pb and Cd in the range of 100ppb in marine water. Moreover, these were prepared on low-cost large area
fabricated screen-printed electrodes and are overcoming the LoD obtained in photolithography on silicon dioxide
substrates. A printed pH sensor and graphene-based temperature sensor is added to the multiparametric system for
monitoring the local pH, since it affects the concentration of the heavy metal ions in water and temperature parameters.
Target Industry
- Internet of Things
- Water domain industries: residual water treatments, industrial water monitoring, water sensors industry
- Printing and packaging: chemical monitoring
- Healthcare and Wellness: chemical sensors temperature sensor
Organic & Printed Components
- Conductive path
- Interconnection
- Organic Semiconductor
- Printed dieelectric / insulator
- Printed electrode
- Printed sensor
- Printed graphene temperature sensor
- Printed graphene multiparamteric heavy metals sensor
Classical Components
- Electronic control box is made by conventional FR4 technology.