The integration of n-type (electron-transporting)
polymers with oxidase enzymes has allowed building high-performance organic
electrochemical transistor (OECT) based metabolite sensors. Yet, the operation
mechanism of these devices is poorly understood. Here, the process is
investigated for the conversion of metabolite oxidation to electrical current
in an n-type organic electrochemical transistor (n-OECT). By monitoring oxygen
(O2), hydrogen peroxide, and pH changes in the
electrolyte as well as the potential of each electrical contact of the n-OECT
during glucose detection, light is shed on the physical phenomena occurring at
the polymer-enzyme interface. It is shown that the n-type film performs O2 reduction reaction in its doped state and that
the n-OECT characteristics are sensitive to O2. A correlation is found between the consumption of
electrolyte-dissolved O2 and the generation of n-OECT current during the
metabolite oxidation. The results demonstrate how the sensitivity of a polymer
to O2, species known to deteriorate the performance of many semiconductor
devices, becomes a feature to exploit in sensor applications. The importance of
in operando analysis of the electrolyte composition and the terminal potentials
is highlighted for understanding the operation mechanism of bioelectronic
devices and for sensor design and materials development.