Owing to the explosive development of advanced biomaterials and fabrication technologies, researchers are able to design innovative biosensors with high sensitivity and portable instruments for disease-related biomarkers. As one of them, flexible biosensors, as opposed to rigid counterparts of biosensors, have such benefits as the feasibility to attach to the human body. However, some limitations of issue may be encountered depending on flexible biosensor components. Active materials and flexible electrode need to be integrated on biosensor, as well as be amenable to the reliable performances without being degradation. Thus, for the successful design of the flexible biosensor systems, a facile synthesis of active materials and alternative fabrication of flexible electrode method are required.
Herein, a fabrication of flexible biosensor system based on Cu/PDMS flexible electrode and NiCo₂O₄ active nanostructure for glucose detection are demonstrated. Active materials, nickel cobaltite (NiCo₂O₄) was synthesized with various chemical routes to further enhance the electrochemical performance of glucose detection. Especially, glucose sensitivity of the NiCo₂O₄ with urchin-like morphology increased up to 116.33 ㎂ mM-1cm-2 with high correlation coefficient(R²) of 0.99 in the linear range 0.01-6 mM. Cu/PDMS flexible electrode prepares to bonding methodology via surface activated bonding (SAB). Ultimately, the flexible biosensor system showed the possibility of detection of glucose while attached to human skin. This work has a great potential for detecting glucose and it is promising for medical and healthcare applications.