Composite
Films of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Grafted Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
for Electrochemical Detection of Metal Ions
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Abstract
In this study, we prepared electrochemically
active films of poly(3-hexylthiophene) grafted single-walled carbon
nanotubes (SWNT-g-P3HT) by using a modified vacuum-assisted deposition
approach, in which a SWNT-g-P3HT composite layer of various thicknesses
was deposited on the top of a thin SWNT layer. Measurement of the
optical and electrical properties of the SWNT-g-P3HT composite films
demonstrated that the thickness of the SWNT-g-P3HT composite films
was controllable. The data of transmission electron microscope observation
and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the covalent grafting of P3HT
onto the surfaces of SWNTs resulted in intimate and stable connectivity
between the two components in the SWNT-g-P3HT composite. Capitalizing
on these unique features, we successfully developed a new class of
electrochemical sensors that used the SWNT-g-P3HT composite films
deposited on an indium–tin oxide substrate as an electrochemical
electrode for detection of metal ions. Significantly, such a SWNT-g-P3HT
composite electrode showed advantages in selective, quantitative,
and more sensitive detection of Ag<sup>+</sup> ions