Wearable electrochemical sensors are transforming health, agriculture, and environmental monitoring by enabling non-invasive, continuous chemical measurements directly on living surfaces. A research team at National Taiwan University, led by Prof. Ja-an Annie Ho, has developed a wearable electrochemical sensor for real-time monitoring of hypochlorous acid (HOCl)-a widely used disinfectant-on human skin and plant leaves.
This work is featured in Biosensors and Bioelectronics ("Real-time and continuous monitoring of hypochlorous acid using a wearable sensor based on boronic acid nanofibers and gold nanoparticles").
HOCl is highly effective against pathogens but can be harmful at elevated concentrations, causing skin irritation in humans and tissue damage in plants. Conventional analytical methods are poorly suited for real-time or on-site detection, highlighting the need for wearable sensing technologies.
While bioelectronics have advanced significantly in mammalian systems, the development of patchable technologies specifically tailored for plant applications remains in its early, incipient stages. Monitoring chemicals directly on plant surfaces is particularly challenging due to mechanical fragility, complex geometries, and environmental exposure. This study directly addresses that gap by demonstrating reliable, on-leaf chemical sensing under real-world conditions.
The sensor is built on a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with polyaminophenylboronic acid (PAPBA) nanofibers and gold nanoparticles, enabling high sensitivity and selectivity toward HOCl. Wireless data transmission to a smartphone provides immediate readout, with a low detection limit of 0.19 μM across a broad concentration range relevant to disinfectant use.
Practical demonstrations on plant leaves and pig skin enabled continuous, on-surface monitoring without sample dilution. Sunlight-dependent decay of HOCl on leaves revealed dynamic environmental effects inaccessible to conventional methods. Future work will expand the platform to diverse plant and skin surfaces, incorporate microneedle arrays, and integrate Internet of Things (IoT) functionality for real-time data sharing.
“This work highlights how wearable bioelectronics can extend beyond human health to address critical challenges in plant science,” said corresponding author Prof. Ja-an Annie Ho. “Such technologies open new pathways for precision agriculture, safer disinfection, and environmental health monitoring.”
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