The emerging role of 3D printing in the fabrication of detection systems

Abstract

[eng] 3D printing is fast evolving as an additive manufacturing technique that has been adopted in (bio)analytical science because of the ample variety of materials and technologies currently available for highly affordable prototyping. This review focuses on the unique characteristics of 3D printing for manufacturing of optical and electrochemical detection systems, and sampling interfaces for analytical purposes using fused deposition modelling, vat polymerization (stereolithography and digital light processing) and photopolymer inkjet printing. The majority of works surveyed within the time span of mid-2018 to mid-2020 encompassed the fabrication of several components of the detection systems, yet recent reports on totally printed electrochemical detectors are paving the way of 3D printing toward self-dedicated fully printed detectors. From the application viewpoint, the merits and weaknesses of the new sensing platforms as compared with commercially available detectors will be critically analyzed to uncover the actual advantages of using 3D printed materials and devices. Finally, the current state-of-the-art and future perspectives of this emerging technology for fabrication of unique detection systems are highlighted.