Effects of chemical environment on diffusivities within thin Nafion® films as monitored from chronoamperometric responses of generator–collector double microband assemblies

New Developments in Electrochemical Sensors Based on Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-Modified Electrodes

There is a growing demand for continuous, fast, selective, and sensitive monitoring of key analytes and parameters in the control of diseases and health monitoring, foods quality and safety, and quality of the environment. Sensors based on electrochemical transducers represent very promising tools in this context. Conducting polymers (CPs) have drawn considerable interest in recent years because of their potential applications in different fields such as in sensors, electrochemical displays, and in catalysis. Among the organic conducting polymers, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and its derivatives have attracted particular interest due to their high stability and high conductivity. This paper summarizes mainly the recent developments in the use of PEDOT-based composite materials in electrochemical sensors.

Signal amplification in a microchannel from redox cycling with varied electroactive configurations of an individually addressable microband electrode array

Amperometric detection at microelectrodes in lab-on-a-chip (LOAC) devices lose advantages in signal-to-background ratio, reduced ohmic iR drop, and steady-state signal when volumes are so small that diffusion fields reach the walls before flux becomes fully radial. Redox cycling of electroactive species between multiple, closely spaced microelectrodes offsets that limitation and provides amplification capabilities. A device that integrates a microchannel with an individually addressable microband electrode array has been used to study effects of signal amplification due to redox cycling in a confined, static solution with different configurations and numbers of active generators and collectors. The microfabricated device consists of a 22 microm high, 600 microm wide microchannel containing an array of 50 microm wide, 600 microm long gold microbands, separated by 25 microm gaps, interspersed with an 800 microm wide counter electrode and 400 microm wide passive conductor, with a distant but on-chip 400 microm wide pseudoreference electrode. Investigations involve solutions of potassium chloride electrolyte containing potassium ferrocyanide. Amplification factors were as high as 7.60, even with these microelectrodes of fairly large dimensions (which are generally less expensive, easier, and more reproducible to fabricate), because of the significant role that passive and active (instrumentally induced) redox cycling plays in confined volumes of enclosed microchannels. The studies are useful in optimizing designs for LOAC devices.