A glassy carbon electrode chemically modified with a carbon black coating is proposed here for the rapid and portable determination of cannabidiol (CBD) in a commercial Cannabis seed oil and in fibre-type Cannabis sativa L. leaves. The mechanism of CBD oxidation was studied in relation to simpler phenyl derivatives bearing the same electroactive group, namely resorcinol and 2-methylresorcinol. These molecules also allowed us to determine the best conditions for the electrochemical detection of CBD, as to the pH value and to the best solvent mixture to use. Carbon black was chosen among nanostructured carbon-based materials owing to its outstanding features as an electrode modifier for analyte detection. The performance of the modified electrode was determined by flow injection analyses of standard solutions of CBD, obtaining a linear correlation between the oxidation current and the analyte concentration; the sensor response is characterised by suitable repeatability and reproducibility. The analysis of commercial products by the standard addition method allowed us to ascertain the accuracy of the sensor for the detection of CBD in real samples.
The possibility of exfoliating graphite into graphene sheets allows the researchers to produce a material, termed “graphene paper” (G‐paper), conductive as graphite but more flexible and processable. G‐paper is already used for electronic applications, like conductors, antennas, and heaters, outperforming metal conductors thanks to its high flexibility, lightness, chemical stability, and compatibility with polymeric substrates. Here, the effectiveness in the use of G‐paper for the realization of electrodes on flexible plastic substrates and textiles, and their applicability as amperometric sensors are demonstrated. The performance of these devices is compared with commercial platforms made of carbon‐based inks, finding that they outperform commercial devices in sensing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), a key molecule for enzymatic biosensing; the electrodes can achieve state‐of‐the‐art sensitivity (107.2 μA mm−1 cm−2) and limit of detection (0.6 × 10−6 m) with no need of additional functionalization. Thanks to this property, the stable deposition of a suitable enzyme, namely lactate dehydrogenase, on the electrode surface is used as a proof of concept of the applicability of this new platform for the realization of a biosensor. The possibility of having a single material suitable for antennas, electronics, and now sensing opens new opportunities for smart fabrics in wearable electronic applications.