A self-powered triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) based on the contact-separation mode between a thin layer of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) with nanoparticle arrays and an aluminum film was fabricated for the detection of dopamine (DA) in the alkaline condition. High selectivity and sensitivity (detection limit of 0.5 μM, a linear range from 10 μM to 1 mM) have been achieved through the strong interaction between the nonstick PTFE and DA via its oxidative self-polymerization, and the output voltage and current of the developed TENS can reach 116 V and 33 μA, which is exceptionally attractive for the fabrication of self-powered and portable device toward the detection of dopamine.
Keywords: dopamine; poly(tetrafluoroethylene) nanoparticle arrays; self-powered nanosensor; triboelectric nanogenerator.