Optically Transparent Carbon Nanotube Film Electrode for Thin Layer Spectroelectrochemistry

Carbon nanotube (CNT) film was evaluated as an optically transparent electrode (OTE) for thin layer spectroelectrochemistry. Chemically inert CNT arrays were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using thin films of Fe and Co as catalysts. Vertically aligned CNT arrays were drawn onto a quartz slide to form CNT films that constituted the OTE. Adequate conductivity and transparency make this material a good OTE for spectroelectrochemistry. These properties could be varied by the number of layers of CNTs used to form the OTE. Detection in the UV/near UV region down to 200 nm can be achieved using these transparent CNT films on quartz. The OTE was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and thin layer spectroelectrochemistry. Ferricyanide, tris­(2,2′-bipyridine) ruthenium­(II) chloride, and cytochrome c were used as representative redox probes for thin layer spectroelectrochemistry using the CNT film OTE, and the results correlated well with their known properties. Direct electron transfer of cytochrome c was achieved on the CNT film electrode

Carbon Nanotube Thread Electrochemical Cell: Detection of Heavy Metals

In this work, all three electrodes in an electrochemical cell were fabricated based on carbon nanotube (CNT) thread. CNT thread partially insulated with a thin polystyrene coating to define the microelectrode area was used as the working electrode; bare CNT thread was used as the auxiliary electrode; and a micro quasi-reference electrode was fabricated by electroplating CNT thread with Ag and then anodizing it in chloride solution to form a layer of AgCl. The Ag|AgCl coated CNT thread electrode provided a stable potential comparable to the conventional liquid-junction type Ag|AgCl reference electrode. The CNT thread auxiliary electrode provided a stable current, which is comparable to a Pt wire auxiliary electrode. This all-CNT thread three electrode cell has been evaluated as a microsensor for the simultaneous determination of trace levels of heavy metal ions by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Pb²⁺ were used as a representative system for this study. The calculated detection limits (based on the 3σ method) with a 120 s deposition time are 1.05, 0.53, and 0.57 nM for Hg²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Pb²⁺, respectively. These electrodes significantly reduce the dimensions of the conventional three electrode electrochemical cell to the microscale

Carbon Nanotube-Loaded Nafion Film Electrochemical Sensor for Metal Ions: Europium

A Nafion film loaded with novel catalyst-free multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was used to modify a glassy carbon (GC) electrode to detect trace concentrations of metal ions, with europium ion (Eu³⁺) as a model. The interaction between the sidewalls of MWCNTs and the hydrophobic backbone of Nafion allows the MWCNTs to be dispersed in Nafion, which was then coated as a thin film on the GC electrode surface. The electrochemical response to Eu³⁺ was found to be ∼10 times improved by MWCNT concentrations between 0.5 and 2 mg/mL, which effectively expanded the electrode surface into the Nafion film and thereby reduced the diffusion distance of Eu³⁺ to the electrode surface. At low MWCNT concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/mL, no significant improvement in signal was obtained compared with Nafion alone. Scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure of the MWCNT–Nafion film, followed by electrochemical characterization with Eu³⁺ via cyclic voltammetry and preconcentration voltammetry. Under the optimized conditions, a linear range of 1–100 nM with a calculated detection limit of 0.37 nM (signal/noise = 3) was obtained for determination of Eu³⁺ by Osteryoung square-wave voltammetry after a preconcentration time of 480 s

Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber Modified Electrodes for Stripping Voltammetry

Electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have attracted intense attention due to their easy processing, high carbon yield, and robust mechanical properties. In this work, a CNF modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode that was coated with Nafion polymer was evaluated as a new electrode material for the simultaneous determination of trace levels of heavy metal ions by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were used as a representative system for this initial study. Well-defined stripping voltammograms were obtained when Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were determined individually and then simultaneously in a mixture. Compared to a bare GC electrode, the CNF/Nafion modified GC (CNF/Nafion/GC) electrode improved the sensitivity for lead detection by 8-fold. The interface properties of the CNF/Nafion/GC were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which showed the importance of the ratio of CNF/Nafion on electrode performance. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits are 0.9 and 1.5 nM for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, respectively