Understanding the voltaic cell-like nature of moist cellulose thread through the development of a modified version of J.C. Bose’s strain cell: A crucial property for cellulose-based biomedical sensors

Abstract

Cellulose is considered an important material for biomedical sensor development. In the recent past, several experiments have been conducted to explore several advantageous properties of cellulose for use in biomedical engineering. To investigate the electrical properties of a material, using laboratory-based electrochemical cells is considered a simple technique. It is known that ideally, there should not exist any potential difference (P.D.) between two identical wires obtained from the same piece of metal when connected in the form of an electrochemical cell, with water as the electrolyte. However, in the year 1900, Acharya J.C. Bose had experimentally proved through his Strain Cell instrument that even when two identical metallic pieces, in the form of electrodes obtained from the same metal wire (immersed in water), are connected to a sensitive galvanometer, there exists a minute P.D. between them. In recent times, various experiments have been conducted to develop low-cost modified galvanic cells using cotton salt bridges. In view of this, first, a modified strain cell setup was developed in the laboratory to repeat J.C. Bose’s experiment, and then a single electrode was replaced with moist cotton thread as a stable source of cellulose, connected from electrode to electrolyte to check if there is any qualitative variation in the phenomenon. A similar stable peak voltage, though of a different value as compared to that obtained in the original modified Strain Cell setup, was recorded, thereby confirming a voltaic-cell-like property of the moist cotton thread as well. Identification of such peculiar properties of cellulose in the form of moist cotton-based voltaic cells may help in the development of various types of cellulose-based biomedical sensors.