Photoelectrochemical oxygen sensor using copper-plated screen-printed carbon electrodes

We report here an efficient photocatalytic amperometric sensor for the determination of dissolved oxygen (DO) in phosphate buffer solution using a disposable copper-plated screen-printed carbon electrode (CuSPE). The photoelectrochemical activity toward DO of the CuSPE was related to the formation of a p-type semiconductor Cu(I)2O. The solution pH and biased potential (E(bias)) were systematically optimized as pH 8 PBS and -0.7 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. Under optimized conditions, the calibration plot was linear in the range of 1-8 ppm with sensitivity and regression coefficient of 23.51 (microA cm2)(-1) ppm(-1) and 0.9982, respectively. The reproducibility of the system was good with seven successive measurements of DO yielding a RSD value of 1.87%. Real sample assays for groundwater and tap water were also consistent with those measured by a commercial DO meter. The principle used in DO measurement has an opportunity to extend into various research fields.     

Specific features of oxygen electroreduction on platinized carbon black-functionalized carbon nanotube composite

The electrochemical behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) containing functional surface groups has been studied by the methods of cyclic voltammetry and direct-current polarography with stationary and rotating disk electrodes. The surface catalytic activity of supported platinum in the reaction of molecular oxygen electroreduction and the influence of functionalized MWCNTs on this process were determined.     

Voltammetric quantification of adenine and guanine at C60 modified glassy carbon electrodes

Voltammetric determination of adenine and guanine has been carried out at C60 modified glassy carbon electrode at physiological pH. Well-defined oxidation peaks were observed with Ep at approximately 990 mV and 692 mV for adenine and guanine respectively. Good colinearity was obtained in the concentration range 0.5 microM to 100.0 microM for adenine and guanine with sensitivity of approximately 0.06 microA microM(-1) and approximately 0.03 microA /microM(-1), respectively. Simultaneous voltammetric determination of adenine and guanine has been described. Recovery studies for adenine and guanine in biological samples were also carried out. Interfering effect of some common metabolites including ascorbic acid has been evaluated. Analytical application of the developed protocol for determination of (G +C)/(A + T) ratio in DNA sample is also described.     

Electrochemical impedance measurement of prostate cancer cells using carbon nanotube array electrodes in a microfluidic channel

Highly aligned multi-wall carbon nanotubes were synthesized in the shape of towers and embedded into fluidic channels as electrodes for impedance measurement of LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Tower electrodes up to 8 mm high were grown and easily peeled off a silicon substrate. The nanotube electrodes were then successfully soldered onto patterned printed circuit boards and cast into epoxy under pressure. After polishing the top of the tower electrodes, RF plasma was used to enhance the electrocatalytic effect by removing excess epoxy and activating the open end of the nanotubes. Electrodeposition of Au particles on the plasma-treated tower electrodes was done at a controlled density. Finally, the nanotube electrodes were embedded into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was carried out with different conditions. Preliminary electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results using deionized water, buffer solution, and LNCaP prostate cancer cells showed that nanotube electrodes can distinguish the different solutions and could be used in future cell-based biosensor development.     

Method of surface polariton field structure measurement using resonance excited in a single planar double split ring

An experimental method of determining the structure and local polarization properties of the fields of surface polaritons is proposed, based on excitation of resonance in a single planar double split ring with a diameter much smaller than the wavelength. The proposed method has been verified in the microwave range. A metasurface for the formation of polaritons was represented by a grating of parallel wires with finite lengths. A more than tenfold increase in the resonance intensity has been observed for the excitation of a ring by surface polaritons as compared to the case of excitation by a plane wave.     

Voltammetric determination of L-cysteine at conductive diamond electrodes

Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes were used to examine L-cysteine (CySH) oxidation in alkaline media. The results of the voltammetric and polarization measurements showed that at BDD electrodes the overall CySH oxidation reaction is controlled by the initial electrochemical step, i.e., the oxidation of the CyS- electroactive species. The same conclusion was supported by the results of a study of pH effects. Conversely, at glassy carbon (GC) electrodes, the same reaction is controlled by the desorption of the reaction products. These results account for the poor response for CySH determination at GC compared to BDD. It was found that BDD exhibits excellent behavior for CySH determination, clearly outperforming GC. The results demonstrate that measurement of the peak current for CySH oxidation can be used as a basis for simple method for determining CySH in the micromolar concentration range by the use of BDD electrodes.     

Ion-selective electrodes using carbon nanotubes as ion-to-electron transducers

This study developed a new type of all-solid-state ion-selective electrode based on a transducing layer of a network of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The extraordinary capacity of carbon nanotubes to promote electron transfer between heterogeneous phases made the presence of electroactive polymers or any other ion-to-electron-transfer promoter unnecessary. The new transducer layer was characterized by environmental scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The stability of the electrical potential of the new solid-contact electrode was examined by performing current-reversal chronopotentiometry, and the influence of the interfacial water film was assessed by the potentiometric water layer test. The performance of the new electrode was evaluated by determining K+ with an ion-selective membrane that contained the well-known valinomycin ion carrier. The new electrode had a Nernstian slope (58.4 mV/decade), dynamic ranges of four logarithmic units, and selectivities and limits of detection comparable to other solid-contact electrodes. The short response time (less than 10 s for activities higher than 10(-5.5) M) and the stability of the signal over several days makes these new electrodes very promising candidates for attaining true miniaturization.     

Surface modification of carbon electrodes using an argon plasma

In this work, an activated carbon sheet was modified, to improve capacitance and energy density of electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs). Surfaces were treated with plasma for selected times of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 30 min. The plasma source was a DC glow discharge in argon gas. The pressure was 20 Pa and the distance between positive and negative electrodes was 20 mm. DC power was 70 W. The activated carbon sheets were set up so that the sheets were covered with the DC glow discharge. The results showed that plasma treatment led to roughening of the surface of the activated carbon sheets which became more pronounced for increased time. This was attributed to an increased surface area caused by argon plasma etching. For discharge times greater than 10 min, contamination from sputtered PTEE in the chamber appeared to have a smoothing effect and led to a reduction of the measured surface area. Capacitance of the EDLCs cells with the activated carbon sheets after 1 min plasma surface treatment was increased by 2% compared to EDLCs cells with the original activated carbon sheet. The results have shown that the modification by plasma treatment of activated carbon sheets is a suitable technique for EDLCs used in high current applications.     

Electrochemical removal of chromium from aqueous solutions using electrodes of stainless steel nets coated with single wall carbon nanotubes

An electrochemical technique was adopted to investigate the removal of Cr(VI) species and total chromium (TCr) from aqueous solution at a laboratory scale. The electrodes of stainless steel nets (SSNE) coated with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs@SSNE) were used as both anode and cathode. Three parameters, including solution pH, voltage and electrolyte concentration, were studied to explore the optimal condition of chromium removal. The optimal parameters were found to be pH 4, voltage 2.5 V and electrolyte concentration 10 mg/L. Under these conditions, the Cr(VI) and TCr removal had a high correlation with the amount of SWCNTs coated on the electrodes, with coefficients of the regression equations 0.953 and 0.928, respectively. The mechanism of Cr(VI) removal was also investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study and scanning electron microscope (SEM) picture showed that the process of chromium removal involved the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) on the cathode, and then the adsorption of Cr(III) by SWCNTs on the cathode. The study results indicated that the proposed method provided an interesting means to remove chromium species from aqueous solution, especially Cr(VI) in acidic condition.     

Scanning electrochemical microscopy. 41. Theory and characterization of ring electrodes

Ring ultramicroelectrodes, which are of particular interest as probes for scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), combined with near-field scanning optical microscopy, were investigated. Theoretical SECM tip current-distance (approach) curves for a ring electrode were calculated by numerical (finite element) analysis. The SECM curves obtained were a function of the geometry of the tips including the thickness of the ring and the insulating sheath. Theoretical approach curves over conductive substrates showed a strong dependence on the ratio of inner to outer radii of ring microelectrodes (a/b) and were relatively insensitive to the thickness of the insulating sheath (r(g)). For insulating substrates, however, the approach curves varied significantly with r(g), but much less with the a/b ratio. Comparison of experimental and theoretical SECM curves provided a good method of evaluating the size and shape of ring electrodes. Good agreement of the experimental and theoretical curves was found with a ring microelectrode with a nominal 200-nm ring thickness, yielding values of 1.7, 1.9, and 5.7 microm for the inner (a) and outer (b) radii of a ring and the outermost radius of insulating sheath (r(g)), respectively.     

Anthocyanin-sensitized solar cells using carbon nanotube films as counter electrodes

Carbon nanotube (CNT) films have been used as counter electrodes in natural dye-sensitized (anthocyanin-sensitized) solar cells to improve the cell performance. Compared with conventional cells using natural dye electrolytes and platinum as the counter electrodes, cells with a single-walled nanotube (SWNT) film counter electrode show comparable conversion efficiency, which is attributed to the increase in short circuit current density due to the high conductivity of the SWNT film.     

Molecular sieving using single wall carbon nanotubes

By using molecular dynamics and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, we find that a nanotube with a constriction results in high transport resistance to nitrogen while allowing oxygen to pass at a much higher rate even though these gases have very similar sizes and energetics. This provides an understanding of the reported high permeation rates of oxygen relative to nitrogen in nanoporous carbon membranes and a basis for designing nanotubes with constrictions using available technologies for membrane-based separations.     

Molecular discriminators using single wall carbon nanotubes

The interaction between single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and amphiphilic molecules has been studied in a solid phase. SWNTs are allowed to interact with different amphiphilic probes (e.g.?lipids) in a narrow capillary interface. Contact between strong hydrophobic and amphiphilic interfaces leads to a molecular restructuring of the lipids at the interface. The geometry of the diffusion front and the rate and the extent of diffusion of the interface are dependent on the structure of the lipid at the interface. Lecithin having a linear tail showed greater mobility of the interface as compared to a branched tail lipid like dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, indicating the hydrophobic interaction between single wall carbon nanotube core and the hydrophobic tail of the lipid. Solid phase interactions between SWNT and lipids can thus become a very simple but efficient means of discriminating amphiphilic molecules in general and lipids in particular.     

Surface resistance measurement of polyethylene using the concentric ring electrode method

The electric field has a strong effect on the surface resistance measurement of thin polymeric films. The standard method for surface resistance measurement utilizes concentric ring metal electrodes that are deposited on the specimen by vacuum evaporation of the metal. The electric voltage distribution in this system using 100 μm thick polyethylene samples under an applied d.c. voltage of 1000 V is calculated and is used to explain the experimental results obtained after the transients on the sample’s surface have ceased.

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Resume L’influence du champ électrique sur la mesure de la résistance de surface de films minces de polymères est considérable. La méthode habituelle consiste à utiliser des électrodes de métal à anneau concentrique qui sont déposées sur l’éprouvette par sublimination sous vide du métal. On calcule la distrubution du voltage électrique dans ce système à l’aide d’éprouvettes recouvertes d’une épaisseur de 100 μm de polyéthylène et on s’en sert pour expliquer les résultats expérimentaux obtenus après cessation des passages à la surface de l’éprouvette.

     

First principle study of the self‐switching characteristics of the guanine based single optical molecular switch using carbon nanotube electrodes

The switching property of an optical single molecular switch based on a single DNA molecule guanine with a single walled carbon nanotube electrode has been investigated using density functional theory along with non‐equilibrium Green''s function based first principle approach. The semi‐empirical model of this single bio‐molecular switch has been operated at an ultra‐high 25 THz frequency in mid‐UV range. This single bio‐molecule comprises switching activity upon UV photo‐excitation. The influence of the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap and the quantum ballistic transmission into the switching activity are discussed in detail in this study. It has been observed that the maximum ON–OFF ratio, i.e. 327 is obtained at +0.8 V bias voltage. Theoretical results show that current through the twisted form is sufficiently larger than the straightened form, which recommends that this structure has smart prospective application in the future generation switching nanotechnology.Inspec keywords: molecular electronic states, density functional theory, ab initio calculations, DNA, organic compounds, molecular electronics, Green''s function methods, molecular biophysics, single‐wall carbon nanotubes, optical switches, orbital calculationsOther keywords: nonequilibrium Green''s function, semiempirical model, single bio‐molecular switch, UV photo‐excitation, lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap, first principle study, single optical molecular switch, switching property, optical single molecular switch, single DNA molecule guanine, single walled carbon nanotube electrode, density functional theory, highest occupied molecular orbital gap, switching nanotechnology