Developing Conductive Ag and Carbon Pastes for Screen Printing Applications

The development of electrochemical devices has become a significant focus in the field of biomedical engineering in recent years. Particularly, there has been an increased interest in low-cost and disposable solutions, as they overcome the challenges associated with the continuous renewal of traditional electrodes and reduce sample volume. Disposable electrochemical devices offer practical solutions in areas such as health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and food analysis, providing user-friendly approaches. This study focuses on optimizing screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) through the development of Ag and carbon-based conductive pastes. Silver paste synthesized using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibited high conductivity suitable for electrochemical applications. Characterization tests, including electrical resistance measurements and rheological analysis, confirmed the paste’s potential for thin film electrode production. Carbon-based pastes, incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and activated carbon, were also evaluated for their electrical properties and substrate adhesion. Microstructural analysis using SEM and FTIR spectroscopy validated the morphology and surface chemistry of AgNPs synthesized, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed their crystallographic structure. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights into the fabrication and optimization of conductive pastes for screen-printed electrodes, paving the way for their effective utilization in biomedical, environmental, and food monitoring applications.