Sol-gel derived nitric oxide-releasing oxygen sensors

An amperometric sol-gel derived sensor that both releases nitric oxide (NO) and measures physiologically relevant concentrations of oxygen (PO2) is described. The sensor consists of a platinum electrode coated with an aminosilane/ethyltrimethoxysilane hybrid xerogel film. Hydrophilic polyurethane (HPU) is doped into the hybrid film to reduce sensor hydration time and increase oxygen permeability. Diazeniumdiolate NO donors are formed within the polymer matrix by exposing the cured film to high pressures of NO. These coatings release up to 7.2 pmol s(-1) cm(-2) of NO over the first 12 h and maintain detectable levels of NO release through 48 h. Sensors modified with HPU-doped, NO-releasing xerogels exhibit a linear response to O2 within 30 min of polarization at -0.65 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and have a sensitivity of approximately 6 nA/mmHg O2. The xerogel coating is stable in buffer solution with minimal fragmentation over 48 h. In vitro biocompatibility studies indicate that these materials effectively reduce platelet adhesion.     

Organic electroluminescent device based on electropolymerized polybithiophene as the hole-transport layer

An ultrathin film of polybithiophene (PBTh), used in organic electroluminescent (EL) devices, was generated by an electrochemical method with a conducting indium tin oxide (ITO) glass as the working electrode. The light-emitting layer could be deposited directly onto the PBTh by using spin coating for fabrication of the organic EL devices. It was found that the film of PBTh as the hole-transport layer for the EL device could effectively raise the EL intensity and efficiency. The EL intensity of the ITO/PBTh/emitting layer/Al device is about 100 times as strong as that of the ITO/emitting layer/Al device at the same current density of 50 mA/cm².     

Buffer layer effect in nanostructured tin electrodeposition on insulating and conducting substrates

The electroplating techniques for metal aggregates and films deposition commonly use an electric current to reduce metal ions in solution, but are restricted to conducting substrate. This new electrochemical technique permits coating of insulating or conducting substrates with metals having controlled aggregate size and growth speed. The basis of our approach is the progressive outward growth of the metal from an electrode in contact with the substrate, with the cell geometry chosen in such a way that the electron current providing the reduction passes through the growing deposit. The nanostructured deposit is composed of branched nanoaggregates from a quasi-continuous film to a more dendritic morphology dependant on current conditions. This approach has been used to elaborate tin electrodeposited thin films composed of a homogeneous distribution of nanoparticles on conducting or insulating substrates. In our works, when a non-continuous buffer gold coating is used, spontaneous mixing of tin atoms into AuSn nanoparticles takes place even at room temperature forming a nanostructured fractal film, if the substrate is conducting or insulating. Without a gold buffer layer, the deposit is composed of large pure tin micro-crystals with a large size distribution, less adapted to tin oxide nanoparticle formation. Indeed, from these tin metal deposits, the final goal is to elaborate functional nanostructured tin oxide films by oxidation for gas sensor applications.     

Electron transfer reactivity and the catalytic activity of horseradish peroxidase incorporated in dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid films

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was incorporated in dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA) to form a film and the film was modified on pyrolytic graphite electrode. UV-Vis spectra suggested that HRP in the film could keep its secondary structure similar to the native state. A pair of stable, well-defined, and quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks was observed with the formal potential at -276.2 mV (vs. saturated calomel electrode), characteristic of heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple of HRP. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant and other electrochemical parameters were presented. The catalytic activity of HRP in DPPA film toward oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide were also examined.     

A novel amperometric sensor for the determination of nitric oxide, and its application in rat liver cells

A novel amperometric nitric oxide sensor with a wide linear range, low detection limit and fast response time was developed. The sensor was fabricated using a poly-brilliant cresyl blue (PBCB)/Nafion film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The PBCB on the working GCE surface dramatically improves the oxidation response of nitric oxide and lowers the required potential for the two-step oxidation of NO. Otherwise, Nafion coated onto the film electrode surface does not only improve the selectivity of the sensor, but also further lowers the active energy of the direct three-electron oxidation of NO to nitrate. The effect of the preanodic time and the film thickness of the electropolymerization on the nitric oxide response as well as the volume of Nafion coated onto the surface and the potential for amperometric detection were optimized. This novel sensor has been applied to the determination of NO released from rat liver cells, and the result is satisfactory. Correspondence: Sheng Shui Hu, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P.R. China     

Electrochemical synthesis of cobalt polyporphine films

A method for modification of the inert electrode surface with an electroactive polymeric film containing the CoN₄ catalytic site has been suggested and approved. The described approach affords the maximal content of the metal porphine moiety per unit weight of the coating. The classical method of introduction of an ion into the porphine macrocycle has been replaced by electrochemical polarization of an electrode with a metallated film in a dilute solution. The metalation efficiency has been demonstrated by the presence of changes in the current–voltage and spectral characteristics of the resulting polymeric films of the unsubstituted porphine pH₂P and cobalt polyporphine pCoP.     

Improvement of an enzyme electrode by poly(vinyl alcohol) coating for amperometric measurement of phenol

A poly(vinyl alcohol) film cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (PVA-GA) was introduced to the surface of a tyrosinase-based carbon paste electrode. The coated PVA-GA film was beneficial in terms of increasing the stability and reproducibility of the enzyme electrode. The electrode showed a sensitive current response to the reduction of the o-quinone, which was the oxidation product of phenol, by the tyrosinase, in the presence of oxygen. The effects of the PVA and PVA-GA coating, the pH, and the GA:PVA ratio on the current response were investigated. The sensitivity of the PVA-GA-Tyr electrode was 130.56 μA/mM (1.8 μA/μM cm²) and the linear range of phenol was 0.5-100 μM. At a higher concentration of phenol (>100 μM), the current response showed the Michaelis-Menten behavior. Using the PVA-GA-Tyr electrode, a two-electrode system was tested as a prototype sensor for portable applications.     

Nitric Oxide Biosensors Based on the Immobilization of Hemoglobin on Mesoporous Titania Electrodes

A nanocrystalline TiO₂ film is an electrode material with large surface area which allows high levels of protein adsorption without loss of protein structure or activity. As an optically transparent semiconductor, titania can be used to carry out direct spectroelectrochemistry of proteins such as hemoglobin. We demonstrate that the high protein loading and the optical transparency and electrical conductivity of the Hb/TiO₂ films allow the optical and/or electrochemical sensing of nitric oxide. In particular we demonstrate the nitric oxide cycle of oxyhemoglobin immobilized on TiO₂ films and use it to electrochemically measure micromolar levels of nitric oxide.     

Effect of oxygen vacancies in anodic titanium oxide films on the kinetics of the oxygen electrode reaction

The effect of oxygen vacancies in the anodic oxide film on passive titanium on the kinetics of the oxygen electrode reaction has been studied by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Oxide films of different donor density were prepared galvanostatically at various current densities until a potential of 20.0 V_SHE was achieved. The semiconductive properties of the oxide films were characterized using EIS and Mott-Schottky analysis, and the thickness was measured using ellipsometry. The film thickness was found to be almost constant at ∼44.7 ± 2.0 nm, but Mott-Schottky analysis of the measured high frequency interracial capacitance showed that the donor (oxygen vacancy) density in the n-type passive film decreased sharply with increasing oxide film formation rate (current density). Passive titanium surfaces covering a wide range of donor density were used as substrates for ascertaining relationships between the rates of oxygen reduction/evolution and the donor density. These studies show that the rates of both reactions are higher for passive films having higher donor densities. Possible explanations include enhancement of the conductivity of the film due to the vacancies facilitating charge transfer and the surface oxygen vacancies acting as catalytic sites for the reactions. The possible involvement of surface oxygen vacancies in the oxygen electrode reaction was explored by determining the kinetic order of the OER with respect to the donor concentration. The kinetic orders were found to be greater than zero, indicating that oxygen vacancies are involved as electrocatalytic reaction centers in both the oxygen evolution and reduction reactions. This paper was submitted in honor of the many contributions to electrochemistry that have been made by Professor Boris Grafov. The article is published in the original.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Nitric Oxide on an Electrode Modified with Fullerene Films

Fullerene was immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode and reduced by an electrochemical method to form a partially reduced fullerene film. The films on the electrode showed stable electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO). The catalytic current was proportional to the concentration of nitric oxide. Based on this property, a method for the detection of nitric oxide in aqueous solution is proposed. The detection conditions, such as supporting electrolyte, scan rate and thickness of the film were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the catalytic currents increase linearly with the concentration of NO in the range of 3×10^–71.0×10^–4M, and the detection limit is 7.4×10^–8M. In addition, the modified electrode is very selective with respect to interferences including ascorbic acid, dopamine, and nitrite when further modified by a Nafion film on the surface of the electrode. The experimental results indicate that the partially reduced fullerene can act as an NO sensor featuring fast response and high stability.     

表面修饰的TiO_2太阳能电池界面特性研究

用水热法制备了具有典型锐钛矿晶型的TiO2纳米材料,采用Cr(NO3)3对TiO2薄膜电极进行修饰改性。用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和光电子能谱(XPS)测试电极的物相及表面结构,结果显示TiO2薄膜表面包覆一层粒径较大的氧化铬颗粒,整个电极仍保持均匀的多孔结构。电流-电压(I-V)曲线测试结果显示,改性后最佳电极的短路电流和光电转换效率分别比改性前提高了31.1%和40.4%。用电化学阻抗谱(EIS)测试电池的界面特性,从测试结果可以看出,相同偏压下,改性后电池的TiO2/染料/电解质界面电阻更大,说明氧化铬包覆层在一定程度上抑制了界面的电子复合,改善了电池的光电输出特性。     

新型不锈钢基二氧化铅-碳化钨复合电极材料的研制

在不锈钢基上通过复合电沉积的方式制备了二氧化铅 碳化钨（PbO2-WC）电极。 考察了温度、电流、WC颗粒浓度对电极性能的影响;通过析氧曲线、Tafel曲线、扫描电子显微镜能谱、X射线衍射图谱考察了WC颗粒掺杂前后PbO2电极相关性能的变化。 结果表明,在最佳工艺即温度70 ℃、镀液中WC颗粒浓度为40 g/L时,电流密度为0.015～0.025 A/cm2;PbO2-WC共沉积过程中PbO2发生了择优生长,WC颗粒的加入能够细化PbO2晶粒,使镀层变得致密,相对于PbO2电极,PbO2-WC复合电极的耐腐蚀性上升,析氧过电位下降。     

Ni-Ru-Ir氧化物阴极涂层的析氢活性

应用热分解氧化法制备Ni-Ru-Ir氧化物活性阴极.循环伏安、Tafel曲线及计时电流测试表明,在90℃、30%(bymass)的NaOH溶液中,电流密度0.3A·cm-2条件下,Ru∶Ir质量比为1∶1的Ni-Ru-Ir氧化物电极的析氢过电位比Ni电极低300mV;表面粗糙度是Ni网电极的32倍;交换电流密度是Ni网电极的4倍;其析氢性能显然远优于Ni网电极,有望应用于氯碱工业以期降低能耗.     

氧化铁镍电极上析氧反应的电化学研究

应用射频反应磁控溅射法制备阳极催化氧化铁镍薄膜,由循环伏安、线性扫描伏安、极化曲线和电化学交流阻抗谱等研究发生在该电极上的氧化反应.结果表明,作为活化中心的铁能使过电势降低,并且随着溅射过程氧流量的增加催化性能增强,铁的掺入使得速率限定步骤由OH-的释放变为氧原子的结合.与镍相比,氧化铁镍是更理想的催化阳极材料,当电流密度为50 mA/cm2时,其氧的过电势比镍的下降了500 mV.     

Micropatterning of biomolecules on a glass substrate in fused silica microchannels by using photolabile linker-based surface activation

Platinum nanoparticles were electrodeposited onto a film of dihexadecyl hydrogen phosphate deposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and modified with dispersed acetylene black. Scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that this nanocomposite has a uniform nanostructure and a large surface area that enables fast electron-transfer kinetics. The modified GCE showed high electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO). Under optimal conditions, the oxidation peak current of nitric oxide is linearly related to the concentration of NO in the concentration range between 0.18 and 120?μM, and the detection limit is as low as 50?nM (at an S/N of 3). The modified electrode was successfully applied to sensing of NO as released from rat liver.

Long–term Drifts in Sensitivity Caused by Biofouling of an Amperometric Oxygen Sensor

Changes in oxygen sensitivity of an poly(o‐phenylenediamine) (PoPD) coated gold electrode was determined by constructing calibration curves in vitro. Oxygen sensitivities recorded in the presence of biofoulants were significantly different from those recorded in buffer; however, PoPD demonstrated its effectiveness in providing some resistance to changes in oxygen sensitivity over time compared to a bare electrode. Three sets of PoPD‐coated electrodes were calibrated in simple electrolyte of phosphate buffered saline; each set yielding an average oxygen sensitivity of 0.58±0.03 μA/ppm, 0.68±0.01 μA/ppm, and 0.48±0.01 μA/ppm (n=4), which shows the electrode to electrode variation in the PoPD‐coating/electrode. These sets were correspondingly exposed to bovine serum albumin, fibrinogen, rat brain homogenate. Exposure to these biofoulants resulted in decreases in sensitivity ranging from 26–35 % after immediate exposure. Furthermore, long‐term exposure to some biofoulants causes significant decreases in sensitivity over a time period of 14 days. We also estimated through in vitro exposure to rat brain homogenate the errors that might be associated with current methods of calibration. Sensitivities to oxygen determined by precalibration resulted in a 50 % error from the sensitivity found in vitro; the error from postcalibration after rinsing resulted in 25 % error.     

Oxidation and flow-injection amperometric determination of 5-hydroxytryptophan at an electrode modified by electrochemically assisted deposition of a sol-gel film with templated nanoscale pores

The oxidation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTPP) yielded a passivating polymeric film at an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. Coating ITO with a nanoscale sol-gel film with a mesoporous structure was shown to change the pathway of the chemical reaction coupled to the electron transfer. The sol-gel film was deposited by an electrochemically assisted process, and the mesoporosity was imparted by including generation-4 poly(amidoamine) dendrimer in the precursor solution. The dendrimer was removed subsequently with an atmospheric oxygen plasma. This electrode remained active during cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis of 5-HTPP, which was attributed to dimer, rather than polymer, formation from the oxidation product. Mass spectrometry confirmed this hypothesis. The anodic current was limited by the electron-transfer kinetics. Modification of the sol-gel film by inclusion of cobalt hexacyanoferrate, which catalyzes the oxidation, resulted in a diffusion-limited current. Determination of 5-HTPP by flow-injection amperometry had a detection limit of 17 nM.     

Low temperature fabrication of efficient porous carbon counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Porous carbon counter electrodes have been fabricated at low temperature by coating an organic binder free carbon slurry onto F-doped tin oxide conducting glass. The carbon slurry is prepared by ball-milling a dispersion of activated carbon in aqueous SnCl₄ solution. During ball-milling, SnCl₄ hydrolyzes and transforms into stannic acid gel, which acts as an inorganic “glue” to connect the carbon particles during film preparation. Dye-sensitized solar cells employing this carbon electrode achieve efficiency as high as 6.1% which is comparable to that of the cells using sputtering Pt as counter electrode.     

纳米多孔阳极氧化铁膜的形成及其形貌演变

阳极氧化法制备具有纳米多孔结构的阳极氧化铁膜因其潜在的应用价值而倍受关注。然而,在阳极氧化过程中多孔结构的形成机制至今尚不清楚。本文结合电流密度-电位响应（I-V曲线）及法拉第定律的推导,分析了形成纳米多孔阳极氧化铁膜的过程中阳极电流的组成。结果表明,离子电流（导致离子迁移形成氧化物）和电子电流（导致析出氧气）共同组成阳极电流,并且纳米多孔阳极氧化铁膜的形成与两种电流的占比相关。分段式氧化物之间的空腔以及在阳极氧化初期纳米孔道上覆盖的致密膜,表明氧气泡可能是从氧化膜内部析出。此时,阳离子和阴离子绕过作为模具的氧气泡实现传质,最终导致纳米多孔结构的形成。此外,在阳极氧化铁膜形貌演变过程中,氧气泡不断向外溢出会使表面氧化物被冲破,导致表面孔径不断增大。     

Kinetic analysis of the hydrogen oxidation reaction on Pt-black/Nafion electrode

The hydrogen oxidation reaction on Pt-black/Nafion electrode was investigated using a rotating disk electrode and cyclic voltammetry technique. The voltammetric results demonstrated that the electrode can be prepared with good reproducibility and that Pt-black particles without direct contact with Nafion were still electrochemically active in taking part in the H-adsorption/desorption process. For hydrogen oxidation, the limiting current density was reduced by the presence of Nafion coating. The H₂ diffusion resistance in Nafion film was avoided when the film thickness was less than 0.2 μm for a Pt-black loading of 20 μg. Moreover, the uncertainties in the kinetic results were discussed.