Multi-material integrated 3D-printed electrochemical detection platform for rapid on-site screening of nimesulide in industrial sewage

TL;DR

A 3D-printed electrochemical platform is developed for quickly detecting nimesulide in industrial sewage with high accuracy and low cost.

Contribution

A customizable, multi-material 3D-printed electrochemical platform for on-site detection of nimesulide in complex environmental samples.

Findings

The platform achieved a detection limit of 0.19 μM for nimesulide in industrial sewage.

It showed high reproducibility with RSD values of 6.8% by CV and 3.4% by DPV.

The recovery rate was 90 ± 5% after sample dilution and analysis.

Abstract

The fabrication, mechano-electric, and electrochemical characterisation of a sustainable, multi-material, integrated 3D-printed electrochemical platform (3DPEC) for the rapid on-site screening of nimesulide in both static and flow conditions is demonstrated. The portable two-electrode cell comprises carbon black (CB)-filled polylactic acid (PLA) electrodes sealed within insulating poly(lactic acid) walls, constituting an integrated multi-material system. Joint tensile and electrical tests, as well as tomography analyses, enabled the optimisation of 3DPEC dimensions and printing parameters. A practical and straightforward route for 3DPEC post-processing activation was proposed to enhance the electrochemically active surface area (ESA). Finally, we present the (sensitive determination of nimesulide, an anti-inflammatory drug, in industrial sewage after a 1:10 (v/v) dilution in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The detection platform demonstrated high competitive performance in electroanalysis, with excellent reproducibility (RSD = 6.8% by CV, 3.4% by DPV), a recovery of 90 ± 5%, a detection limit of 0.19 μM, and selectivity against most studied interferents. The presented approach serves as a proof-of-concept for a customisable, multi-material integrated 3D-printed electrochemical detection platform that prioritises reproducibility, low cost, and applicability in complex environmental matrices, highlighting its practical potential for sustainable wastewater monitoring.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00604-025-07634-8.

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