How fall leaves help monitor health

Researchers at the University of São Carlos have discovered a way to use old papers as sensors by printing them with a laser. As it turns out, it is an alternative to 3D printing and produces graphite. But above all it is circular. What is considered ordinary waste is now being reused as cheap raw materials. The team led by Bruno Janigitz has found a way to print electrochemical sensors on autumn leaves.

Autumn leaves as sensors

A carbon dioxide laser is used for this purpose, which can be used to create an electrochemical sensor through pyrolysis and carbonization. This in turn is used to determine dopamine and paracetamol levels. Simply put, the paper is burned using a laser beam, and the cellulose in the paper is then converted into graphite, which is then printed on the paper and can act as a sensor. This sensor is capable of detecting dopamine and paracetamol in biological samples, via… any.

This can be a cheaper and more sustainable way to achieve this, as traditional methods do not need to be used or should be used less frequently: a win-win, especially with something that would otherwise be disposed of.

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