Wearable electrochemical sensors for forensic and clinical applications

Abstract

Electrochemical sensors are powerful analytical tools that, in the last few years, have attracted tremendous attention in coupling with wearable devices due to their incomparable properties, such as instrumental simplicity, low cost, flexibility, and miniaturization. These outstanding characteristics fit with the desired features for continuous on-body analyses. Wearable electrochemical sensors enable obtaining insights into individuals' health status through the noninvasive monitoring of clinically relevant biomarkers in different biofluids (saliva, tears, sweat, and interstitial fluids) without complex manipulation, sampling, and treatment steps. The electrochemical system can be fabricated in different substrates and transferred to the human body or coupled to common utensils to monitor (bio)chemical species or potentially hazardous compounds surrounding the users without disturbing their usual activities. In this work, we critically review the recent advances, the main technological and chemical challenges identified in wearable electrochemical sensors for forensic and clinical applications, highlighting the remarkable trends, needs, and challenges for future studies.