Degradable Mo-Based Phosphate Sensor for In-Soil Agricultural Monitoring

Title: Degradable Mo-Based Phosphate Sensor for In-Soil Agricultural Monitoring
Author: Elizabeth Schell, Jack Murphy, Jon Hawkings, Alain Plante, Mark Allen
Affiliation: University of Pennsylvania, United States
Abstract: Biodegradable soil monitoring systems have the potential to enable high spatial resolution agricultural and environmental monitoring. Hybrid biodegradable systems, composed predominantly of degradable components, such as sensors and antennas, with traditional Si-based sub-mm scale integrated circuits, offer a solution that balances degradability with system complexity and performance. Here, we propose a phosphate sensor with Mo ion selective electrode constructed of degradable and environmentally-benign materials using simple fabrication techniques. We demonstrate the feasibility of Sn pseudoreference and counter electrodes and show sensor performance in buffer solutions with environmentally relevant concentrations and in soil solutions with P concentration adjusted by fertilizer.