Influence of copper hexacyanoferrate film thickness on the electrochemical properties of self-assembled 3-mercaptopropyl gold electrode and application as a hydrazine sensor

A copper hexacyanoferrate film was obtained on a modified electrode prepared by self-assembly of 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane on a gold surface. The film thickness was controlled using a layer-by-layer technique to tune the electrocatalytic properties of the electrode. Two electrodes with different hexacyanoferrate film thicknesses were prepared via three immersions (AuS/CuHCF3) and six immersions (AuS/CuHCF6) of the film in the precursor solutions. Cyclic voltammetry data were obtained to determine the adequate film thickness. Scanning electron microscopy images showed a roughness increase due to the growth of the film thickness at the electrode surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed distinct behavior for the two electrodes prepared; while diffusion and charge transfer processes can be observed in both electrodes, an additional capacitive process at intermediary frequencies was observed for the AuS/CuHCF6 electrode. The charge transfer resistance (R _ct) for the AuS/CuHCF3 electrode (19.6 Ω cm²) was lower than for AuS/CuHCF6 (27.9 Ω cm²) due to the hexacyanoferrate film thickness, since the charge transfer process demands the simultaneous diffusion of K⁺ into the surface. Cyclic voltammetry was used to evaluate the application of the AuS/CuHCF3 electrode as an electrochemical sensor, revealing a linear correlation for hydrazine concentrations.     

Electrochemical SPM investigation of the solid electrolyte interphase film formed on HOPG electrodes

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formation on graphite electrodes was studied on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) in nonaqueous electrolyte by in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (AFM). For potentials negative to 0.7 V versus Li|Li⁺ a SEI film is formed on the HOPG electrode surface. After the first cycle the film is rough and covers the surface of the HOPG electrode only partially. After the second cycle the HOPG surface is fully covered by a compact film. The thickness of the SEI film was measured by increasing the pressure of the AFM tip and thus scraping a part of the electrode surface. In this way a thickness of about 25 nm was found for the SEI film formed after two scan cycles between 3 and 0.01 V versus Li|Li⁺.     

Composite electrodes consisting Pt nano-particles and poly (aminophenols) film on pre-treated aluminum substrate as electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation

Electrochemically platinum plated aluminum (Al/Pt) was used as an electrode substrate for the electropolymerization of aminophenols and fabrication of composite electrodes based on platinum nano-particles. The poly(o-aminophenol) (PoAP), poly(m-aminophenol) (PmAP), and poly(p-aminophenol) (PpAP) were synthesized on the Al/Pt electrode, and further modification was performed by deposition of platinum nano-particles onto polymer matrixes. The electrochemical and morphological characteristic of the composed electrodes were carried out by cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol on the composite electrodes was studied by cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M sulfuric acid as supporting electrolyte. It was found that the Al/Pt/PoAP electrode incorporated Pt nano-particles (Al/Pt/PoAP/Pt) exhibits a higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of methanol than the Al/Pt/PmAP/Pt and Al/Pt/PpAP/Pt electrodes. On the other hand, a higher catalytic current for methanol oxidation was found on the Al/Pt/PoAP/Pt electrode in comparison to bulk Pt and Al–Pt (Al with 0.2 mg cm⁻² of Pt particles) electrodes. The effects of various parameters such as thickness of the polymer film, concentration of the monomer, Pt loading method and the Pt amounts, concentration of the methanol, and the medium temperature were studied on the electrooxidation of methanol. The long-term stability of the modified electrode has also been investigated.     

Characterization of stainless steel electrode modified by a thin film of polyaniline containing pt particles and its electrocatalytic activity for methanol oxidation

The catalytic behavior of stainless steel (SS) electrode modified by a thin film of polyaniline (PANI) containing platinum particles was studied for electrooxidation of methanol and compared with a platinated Pt/PANI electrode in acidic aqueous solution. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry, CO stripping techniques were used to investigate electrochemical properties and electrocatalytic activity of SS/PANI/Pt and Pt/PANI/Pt electrodes. The morphology and particle size of Pt catalysts were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) measurement. The effects of various parameters such as thickness of polymer film, medium temperature and stability of the modified electrodes on methanol oxidation were also investigated. The results indicated that the modified SS electrode exhibited a considerably high electrocatalytic activity on the methanol oxidation as well as the modified Pt electrode.     

Photoelectrical properties of Langmuir–Blodgett films of poly(methyl phenylsilane)s

Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films were prepared from poly(methylphenylsilane) bearing electron acceptor π-conjugated substituents. The small limiting area (0.078 nm²) per one repeating unit of polysilane (PSi) in monomolecular film and the large thickness of the film (6 nm) suggest that the polymer chains are not fully spread on water surface. The electrical and photoelectrical properties of Al/LB film/Au sandwich cells containing various numbers of the polysilane layers were studied. Holes were transported from the Al electrode through the LB film to the Au electrode when the light was absorbed by the polysilane. The highest photovoltaic effect occurred in the first monolayer of polysilane at the Al contact. The cell resistivity and the photovoltage were decreased by parallel conductance of defects in the films consisting of small numbers of PSi layers.     

Preparation and characterization of electrostrictive polyurethane films with conductive polymer electrodes

All-polymer electrostrictive soft films were developed for the first time by depositing conductive polymer (polypyrrole) directly on both sides of solution-cast electrostrictive polyurethane elastomer films. The final composite films are flexible with strong adhesion between the polyurethane film and the conductive polymer electrode. The conductivity (sheet resistivity ∼1000 Ω/□), of the polymer electrode is appropriate for its intended use. The compatible interface between the polypyrrole electrode polymer and the electrostrictive polyurethane significantly improves the acoustic and optical transparency of these composite films, compared with using a metal electrode film. The all-polymer films also exhibit comparable dielectric properties to gold-electroded polyurethane films in the temperature range from −40^°C to +80^°C. The temperature range covers the soft segment glass transition temperature of the polyurethane elastomers, which is about −20^°C. The films also show large electric field induced strain responses which are dependent on film thickness and measurement frequency. The electrostrictive characteristics in the all-polymer films show similarities to those of the films with gold electrodes under identical measurement conditions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of nondiamond carbon admixture on the electrochemical behavior of polycrystalline CVD-diamond films

The effect of nondiamond (sp ²-) carbon admixture on the surface of polycrystalline boron-doped CVD-diamond electrodes on their electrochemical behavior was studied by comparing the films grown under similar conditions, yet of different thickness. It is shown that with the decreasing of the film thickness (hence, with the increasing of the nondiamond carbon content therein) its surface acquired electrochemical activity: the transfer coefficients of reactions in the [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− redox system increased, the oxygen anodic evolution overvoltage decreased, the differential capacitance increased; on the whole, the diamond electrode demonstrated increasingly better pronounced metal-like behavior.     

Preconcentration and electroanalysis of silver at pt electrode modified with poly(2-aminothiazole)

Conducting poly(2-aminothiazole) (PAT) films were electrodeposited on a platinum disc electrode surface by constant potential electrolysis of 2-aminothiazole (AT) for the stripping voltammetric determination of Ag(I). Ag(I) was preconcentrated on the polymer matrix by dipping the modified Pt electrode (PAT-Pt electrode) into Ag(I)(aq) solution. Effects of the film thickness, reduction potential, pH, preconcentration time, Ag(I) concentration and the interference of some other metal ions on the oxidation peak current of silver were studied. Cu(II) interference observed to be significant for the stripping voltammetric determination of Ag(I). The detection limit was calculated on the basis of signal to noise ratio of 3 as 2 × 10^?7 mol L^?1.     

Covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase on films prepared by electrochemical copolymerization of 3-methylthiophene and thiophene-3-acetic acid for amperometric sensing of glucose: Effects of polymerization conditions on sensing properties

For the purpose of glucose sensing, enzyme electrodes were fabricated via covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase on the films of conducting polymer. The films were prepared electrochemically by the copolymerization of 3-methylthiophene and thiophene-3-acetic acid. The properties of the films were investigated by taking into account the polymerization conditions (the kind of supporting electrodes, the current, the amount of passed charge, and the monomer concentration) and the dedoping treatment. The glucose sensing performance of the enzyme electrode was found to be affected markedly by the following three factors of the conducting polymer film: surface morphology, conductivity and cohesion with support electrodes. It was suggested that the ideal conducting polymer used for the enzyme electrode should be a thin film having high conductivity and ordered nanostructure.     

Thin-film electrochemical sensor for diphenylamine detection using molecularly imprinted polymers

This work reports on the development of a new voltammetric sensor for diphenylamine based on the use of a miniaturized gold electrode modified with a molecularly imprinted polymer recognition element. Molecularly imprinted particles were synthesized ex situ and further entrapped into a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymer membrane, which was electropolymerized on the surface of the gold electrode. The thickness of the polymer layer was optimized in order to get an adequate diffusion of the target analyte and in turn to achieve an adequate charge transfer at the electrode surface. The resulting modified electrodes showed a selective response to diphenylamine and a high sensitivity compared with the bare gold electrode and the electrode modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and non-imprinted polymer particles. The sensor showed a linear range from 4.95 to 115 μM diphenylamine, a limit of detection of 3.9 μM and a good selectivity in the presence of other structurally related molecules. This sensor was successfully applied to the quantification of diphenylamine in spiked apple juice samples.     

Hybrid organic/inorganic films of conducting polymers modified with phthalocyanines. I—Film preparation and voltammetric studies

Conducting polymers were deposited on the surface of platinum and glassy carbon electrodes. The monomers used were N-methyl pyrrole and 3-methyl thiophene. The electrochemical synthesis of the polymer was achieved using constant applied potential or cyclic polarization techniques in acetonitrile as a solvent and tetra-alkyl ammonium salts as supporting electrolyte. The resulting conducting polymeric film was modified with an inorganic metal complex, namely, Cu–phthalocyanine or Co–phthalocyanine. Two different approaches were adopted for the modification: (1) the first was to directly apply the metal–phthalocyanine layer on the surface of the polymer, and (2) the second was by the inclusion of the metal–phthalocyanine in a sol–gel matrix that was in turn applied to the conducting polymer film. In the first part of this work, we studied the effect of changing the type of polymer matrix and the central metal of the inorganic complex on the electrochemical behavior of the resulting film. We also found that changing the method of metal–phthalocyanine application to the polymer film affected the electrochemical response and kinetics at the electrode surface. The new electrode was tested for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and showed better conversion efficiency compared to conventional surfaces, which suggests its use in fuel cell applications.     

Voltammetric Determination of Neonicotinoid Pesticides at Disposable Screen‐Printed Sensors Featuring a Sputtered Bismuth Electrode

This work reports the determination of 5 neonicotinoid pesticides (Clothianidin, Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam, Nitenpyram and Dinotefuran) in water samples by cathodic differential pulse (DP) voltammetry at screen‐printed disposable sensors featuring a sputtered bismuth thick‐film working electrode, a Ag reference electrode and a carbon counter electrode. The performance of the bismuth thick‐film electrodes was compared to that of a home‐made bismuth thin‐film electrode and a bismuth‐bulk electrode. The electrodes were further characterized by electrochemical and optical techniques. The effect of the pH of the supporting electrolyte on the DP reduction currents of the 5 pesticides was studied. The limits of quantification (LOQs) in 4 water matrices (distilled water, tap water, mineral water and surface water) were in the range 0.76 to 2.10 mg L^?1 but severe matrix effects were observed in the analysis of mineral and, especially, surface water samples. Using a solid‐phase extraction (SPE) procedure using Lichrolut EN cartridges and elution with methanol, the matrix effects were substantially reduced and the LOQs were in the range 9 to 17 µg L^?1_. The recoveries of surface water samples spiked with the 5 target neonicotinoids at two concentration levels (20 and 50 µg L^?1) were in the range 89 to 109 % and the % relative standard deviations ranged from 4.3 to 7.2 %.     

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer thin film as biosensor for uric acid

A novel amine-imide type conducting polymer, denoted as poly(PD-BCD), was molecularly imprinted on an indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass, with uric acid (UA) as the template and without any functional monomer. Intending to improve the imprinting efficiency, the polymer content was varied from 0.3 to 0.9 wt% during the preparation of the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), thereby varying the thickness of the polymer film; the content of UA as the template was maintained to be the same for all the films. The sensitivities of the thus prepared MIP electrodes were calculated to be more than 3-fold, compared to those of the corresponding non-MIP (NMIP) electrodes, which were obtained through the same method, however, without adding UA during their preparation. A polymer content of 0.6 wt% rendered the best performing MIP electrode, as judged by the imprinting efficiency and sensitivity of the electrode for UA. A linear relationship between steady-state currents and UA concentrations from 0 to 1.125 mM was obtained for both types of the sensors. The sensitivities of the MIP and the NMIP electrodes made with 0.6 wt% of polymer were calculated to be 24.72 and 6.63 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) for this MIP was found to be 0.3 μM at a signal to noise ratio (S/N) of 3. This MIP electrode was used as a biosensor for the detection of UA in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) in a sample containing these species in the same concentrations as those in a human serum. The selectivity of MIP electrode is higher than that of NMIP electrode, and the values are 28.76 and 8.85, respectively. The results are substantiated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry, amperometry, and scanning electron microscopy.     

Blocking properties of gold electrodes modified with 4-nitrophenyl and 4-decylphenyl groups

The electrochemical properties of Au electrodes grafted with 4-nitrophenyl and 4-decylphenyl groups have been studied. The electrografting of gold electrode surface with aryl groups was carried out by electroreduction of the corresponding diazonium salts in acetonitrile. The nitrophenyl film growth on gold was examined by atomic force microscopy, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These measurements showed that a multilayer film of nitrophenyl groups was formed. Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the blocking properties of aryl-modified gold electrodes towards the Fe(CN)₆^3−/4− redox system. The reduction of oxygen was strongly suppressed on these electrodes as evidenced by the rotating disc electrode results.     

Multilayered construction of glucose oxidase on gold electrodes based on layer-by-layer covalent attachment

A feasible approach to construct multilayered enzyme film on the gold electrode surface for use as biosensing interface is described. The film was fabricated by alternate layer-by-layer deposition of periodate-oxidized glucose oxidase (GOx) and poly(allylamine) (PAA). The covalent attachment process was followed and confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed that the film was homogeneous and formed in an ordered manner with a thickness of 2.6 ± 0.1 nm per bilayer. The gold electrodes modified with the GOx/PAA multilayers showed excellent electrocatalytical response to the oxidation of glucose when ferrocenemethanol was used as an artificial redox mediator, which was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV). From the analysis of voltammetric signals, the coverage of active enzyme on the electrode surface was estimated, which had a linear relationship with the number of GOx/PAA bilayers. This suggests that the analytical performance such as sensitivity, detection limit, and so on, is tunable by controlling the number of attached bilayers. The six GOx/PAA bilayer electrode exhibited a sensitivity of 15.1 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² with a detection limit of 3.8 × 10⁻⁶ M. In addition, the sensor exhibited good reproducibility and stability.     

Electropolymerization of an EDOT-modified diarylethene

A diarylethene substituted with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) was synthesized to induce electrochemical anodic polymerization. Upon electrochemical oxidation of 1,2-bis(2-methylbenzo[b]thiophene-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentene (BTF)-substituted EDOT at the 6,6′-position (BTFTT), a red-purple polymeric film (PBTFTT) was deposited on a working electrode. A similar film was deposited on an electrode from the solution exposed to UV light through electrochemical oxidation. The film growth was controlled by the cycle numbers in cyclic voltammetry during the electropolymerization. The film thickness was linearly correlated to the potential cycle numbers, with a slope of 17.9 nm/cycle. The IR spectrum of the electrodeposited polymer showed characteristic CC stretching frequency at 1630 and 1481 cm⁻¹ indicating that the BTF units in the polymer are closed.     

Three‐Dimensionally Ordered Macroporous Nitroxide Polymer Brush Electrodes Prepared by Surface‐Initiated Atom Transfer Polymerization for Organic Radical Batteries

The synthesis and electrochemical performance of three‐dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) nitroxide polymer brush electrodes for organic radical batteries are reported. The 3DOM electrodes are synthesized via polystyrene colloidal crystal templating with electropolymerization of polypyrrole, modification of surface initiator, and surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The discharge capacity of the 3DOM electrodes is proportional to the thickness of the inverse opal. The discharge capacity of the 3DOM electrode at a discharge rate of 5 C is 40 times higher than that of the planar electrode; its cycle‐life performance exhibits 96.1% retention after 250 cycles.     

Synthesis and characterization of p-toluenesulfonate incorporated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), a conducting polymer, was electrochemically synthesized with p-toluenesulfonate (TSNa) as a dopant on gold surface. The electrochemical properties of the polymer were studied by impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV). It was found that the impedance magnitude of the electrode significantly decreased over a wide range of frequency from 10⁰ to 10⁴ Hz after the polymer deposition. The CV demonstrated enhanced reversibility of the PEDOT film. The surface morphology was investigated by scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Due to the effect of TSNa structure, nano-fungus was observed. Polymerization time was optimized and 30 min deposition resulted in the highest charge capacity, showing the highest electroactive surface area, possibly due to its porous structured polymer. Moreover, the high specific surface area could be favorable for cell attachment. The stability of PEDOT in glutathione (GSH), a common biologically relevant reducing agent, was studied with polypyrrole (PPy) as a baseline. It showed that the former had much better stability than the latter and it could be an excellent candidate for potential applications of in vivo neural devices.     

Application of thin film mercury electrodes and solid amalgam electrodes in electrochemical analysis of the nucleic acids components: detection of the two-dimensional phase transients of adenosine

The optical diffractive (DOE)-based sensor was used to the study of the optical roughness of different carbon/graphite electrodes modified by mercury film (MFEs) and solid amalgam-alloy electrodes (S-MeAEs). The electrode surfaces were visualised by an optical metallurgical microscope. The adsorption of adenosine at the MFEs and S-MeAEs has been investigated by capacitance measurement. Some kinetics aspects, such as the influence of the surface morphology, nature of the substrate and thickness of the mercury film and amalgam-alloy on the formation of two-dimensional (2D) physisorbed adenosine adlayer on the MFEs and S-MeAEs, were studied.