A pretreated electrodeposited nickel oxide film on gold PCB electrode for solid-state lactate sensing

Lactate is required for energy metabolism at low-oxygen levels. It is used as a biomarker for multiple ailments including acidosis, sepsis and respiratory failure. It can also be used to monitor health of high-performance sportsmen. Here, we have demonstrated a non-enzymatic sensor based on pretreated electrodeposited nickel oxide layer to detect lactate in sweat. The solid-state sensor was fabricated on a PCB based gold electrode. After electrodeposition, the electrodeposited nickel oxide layer was pretreated using cyclic voltammetry with 0.1 M NaOH solution to convert nickel oxide to nickel oxyhydroxide. This pretreatment enabled the electrode to perform lactic measurements at pH 7. The sensor was tested in standard lactate solution from 0.1 mg/dl to 10 mg/dl.