Towards cheap, portable and reliable OFET-based biochemical sensors

Over the past two decades, organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) have been extensively investigated for biochemical sensing applications: from ion-sensitive devices to enzymatic, immunological, and genetic sensors. In this field, largely driven by the demand for low-cost, disposable devices suitable for large-scale screening purposes, various OTFT architectures such as electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistors (EGOFETs), organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), and extended-gate organic field-effect transistors (Charge-Modulated and Ex-gate OFETs) have gained significant attention in the scientific community. Although numerous papers have reported remarkable performances and substantial technological progress including the integration of two-dimensional materials and the development of flexible, transparent, and fully printed sensor platforms, these biosensors are still confined to research laboratories. Their limited translation into real-world applications continues to raise concerns about the reliability, reproducibility, and consistency of the reported performance under practical operating conditions. In this thesis, an effort has been made to provide a more realistic assessment of the advantages and limitations of OTFT-based biosensors. Particular attention has been given to addressing key reliability issues that hinder their transition from laboratory research to practical applications. Furthermore, potential strategies are proposed to address these challenges, aiming to enhance the stability, the reproducibility, and overall performances of these devices under real-world conditions.