A highly sensitive disease pre-screening approach for glycosuria: Triboelectric sensing at the liquid-solid interface

Abstract

Prescreening and disease detection offer significant benefits in the prevention of serious illnesses. Traditional screening methods for disease identification have been complex and expensive, often requiring invasive procedures, which can be both harmful and uncomfortable. To address these limitations, various non-invasive screening technologies have been developed. Among recent innovations, the liquid–solid interface concept has emerged as a promising avenue for nanogenerator applications, enabling the harvesting and sensing of liquid energy and substances. In this study, we introduce a liquid–solid interface triboelectric sensor (LS-TES) for non-invasive disease screening and sensing. The LS-TES, utilizing a double-electrode configuration, delivers an immediate electrical response upon droplet contact with the solid surface and top electrode. In the case of urine glucose monitoring, our findings demonstrate a significant reduction in electrical signals with increasing concentrations of glucose, as glucose molecules hinder electron transfer from water to the solid surface, thereby disrupting the formation of the electrical double layer at the liquid–solid interface. The sensor exhibits excellent glucose sensing performance within a concentration range of 0.2 mM to 14 mM, with a detection limit of 0.25 mM and a rapid response time of 5–10 s. The LS-TES is cost-effective, highly stable, and reusable, maintaining consistent electrical responses across ten cycles of alternating droplet measurements. This work presents a preclinical assessment approach, specifically for urine glucose monitoring, utilizing an innovative sensor based on the liquid–solid interface. The proposed concept has the potential to serve as an individual indicator for early medical symptom detection, offering relief to a large number of patients. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.