Document Type

Article

Abstract

With the rising prevalence of metabolic diseases, infections, and mental health disorders, there is a growing demand for noninvasive diagnostic tools that enable early detection and continuous health monitoring. In this context, exhaled breath biomarkers provide insight into physiological and pathological processes. Electrochemical breath sensors (EBSs) have emerged as a promising platform for rapid, real-time, and cost-effective disease tracking via the detection of volatile breath biomarkers, such as NH3, NO, and CO2. Recent advancements in electrode materials, biological recognition elements, and sensor architectures—spanning nanomaterials, enzymes, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers—have enhanced the analytical performance of EBSs. Nonetheless, challenges remain in achieving biologically relevant detection ranges, selectivity in complex breath matrices, and long-term environmental stability. This perspective article provides a critical overview of recent innovations and enduring limitations in EBS development. Beyond their role in monitoring physiological diseases, we highlight the emerging potential of EBSs for mental health assessment through the detection of gut-derived metabolites in exhaled breath, such as short-chain fatty acids, H2S, and ammonia, as indicators of gut–brain axis activity. The EBS-based, noninvasive, real-time measurement of these metabolites represents a transformative and underexplored approach for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202500260

Rights

© 2025 The Author(s). ChemElectroChem published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. Thisis an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons AttributionLicense, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium,provided the original work is properly cited.

APA Citation

Strom, N. E., Weber, C. J., & Simoska, O. (2025). Electrochemical Breath Sensors in Medical Diagnostics: Emerging Trends and Future Directions. ChemElectroChem, 12(21). https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202500260

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