Electrocatalysis and detection of nitrite on a polyaniline‐Cu nanocomposite‐modified glassy carbon electrode

A polyaniline (PANI)‐Cu nanocomposite‐modified electrode was fabricated by the electrochemical polymerization of aniline and the electrodeposition of copper under constant potentials on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), respectively. Scanning electron microscope result shows that the PANI‐Cu composite on the surface of the GCE displays the nanofibers having an average diameter of about 80 nm with lengths varying from 1.1 to 1.2 μm. The electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic behavior to the reduction of nitrite compared to the PANI‐modified GCE. The effects of applied potential, pH value of the detection solution, electropolymerization charge, temperature, and nitrite concentration on the current response of the composite‐modified GCE were investigated and discussed. Under optimal conditions, the PANI‐Cu composite‐modified GCE can be used to determine nitrite concentration in a wide linear range (n = 18) of 0.049 and 70.0 μM and a limit of detection of 0.025 μM. The sensitivity of the electrode was 0.312 μA μM^?1 cm^?2. The PANI‐Cu composite‐modified GCE had the good storage stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013