Electroactive sensors

Keywords Electroactive sensor, indicator electrode, selectivity coefficient, topography, Nernstian Slope... 

Other useful sensors rely on the coupling of microorganisms and electrochemical transducers. Changes in the respiration activity of the microorganism, induced by the target analyte, result in decreased surface concentration of electroactive metabolites (e.g., oxygen), which can be detected by the transducer. 

Dubois, P., Rosset, S., Koster, S., Bufom, J.M., Stauffer, J., Mikhailov, S., Dadras, M., Rooij, Nico- F. de., and Shea, H., Microactuators based on ion-implanted dielectric electroactive polymer membranes (EAP), Presented at 13th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, Seoul, Korea, June 5-9, 2005, 2048. 

Special electrochemical sensors that operate on the principle of the voltammetric cell have been developed. The area of chemically modified solid electrodes (CMSEs) is a rapidly growing field, giving rise to the development of new electroanalytical methods with increased selectivity and sensitivity for the determination of a wide variety of analytes [490]. CMSEs are typically used to preconcentrate the electroactive target analyte(s) from the solution. The use of polymer coatings showing electrocatalytic activity to modify electrode surfaces constitutes an interesting approach to fabricate sensing surfaces useful for analytical purposes [491]. 

For application of protein-immobilized porous materials to sensor fields, use of an electroactive substance as the framework material is important. DeLouise and Miller demonstrated the immobilization of glutathione-S-transferase in electrochemically etched porous silicon films [134], which are attractive materials for the construction of biosensors and may also have utility for the production of immobilized enzyme bioreactors. Not limited to this case, practical applications of nanohybrids from biomolecules and mesoporous materials have been paid much attention. Examples of the application of such hybrids are summarized in a later section of this chapter. 

Another problem that is common for all membrane-based solid-state sensors is the ill-defined membrane-metal interface. A large exchange current density is required to produce a reversible interface for a stable potentiometric sensor response. One approach to improving this interface is to use conducting polymers. Conducting polymers are electroactive n-conjugated polymers with mixed ionic and electronic conductivity. They... 

Chemical and biological sensors based on electroactive inorganic polycrystals... 

Amperometric sensors for redox-inactive cations and electroactive compounds... 

Among the variety of materials used for electrode modification the electroactive organic and inorganic polymers seem to be the most prominant ones. In this chapter the electroactive polycrystals of transition metals, hexacyanoferrates, will be discussed for the development of chemical and biological sensors. 

AMPEROMETRIC SENSORS FOR REDOX-INACTIVE CATIONS AND ELECTROACTIVE COMPOUNDS... 

The participation of cations in redox reactions of metal hexacyanoferrates provides a unique opportunity for the development of chemical sensors for non-electroactive ions. The development of sensors for thallium (Tl+) [15], cesium (Cs+) [34], and potassium (K+) [35, 36] pioneered analytical applications of metal hexacyanoferrates (Table 13.1). Later, a number of cationic analytes were enlarged, including ammonium (NH4+) [37], rubidium (Rb+) [38], and even other mono- and divalent cations [39], In most cases the electrochemical techniques used were potentiometry and amperometry either under constant potential or in cyclic voltammetric regime. More recently, sensors for silver [29] and arsenite [40] on the basis of transition metal hexacyanoferrates were proposed. An apparent list of sensors for non-electroactive ions is presented in Table 13.1. 

Some monovalent ions promote the electroactivity of metal hexacyanoferrates rather similarly, which affects selectivity of the corresponding sensors. In particular, it... 

Particular cases are potassium selective potentiometric sensors based on cobalt [41] and nickel [38, 42] hexacyanoferrates. As mentioned, these hexacyanoferrates possess quite satisfactory redox activity with sodium as counter-cation [18]. According to the two possible mechanisms of such redox activity (either sodium ions penetrate the lattice or charge compensation occurs due to entrapment of anions) there is no thermodynamic background for selectivity of these sensors. In these cases electroactive films seem to operate as smart materials similar to conductive polymers in electronic noses. 

Whereas detection of electroinactive ions was principally worked out at the end of last century, the use of transition metal hexacyanoferrates as sensors for various electroactive compounds still attracts particular interest of scientists. Although the cross-selectivity of such compounds must be low, a number of them have been successfully used for analysis of real objects. 

In conclusion, the unique properties of Prussian blue and other transition metal hexa-cyanoferrates, which are advantageous over existing materials concerning their analytical applications, should be mentioned. First, metal hexacyanoferrates provide the possibility to develop amperometric sensors for non-electroactive cations. In contrast to common smart materials , the sensitivity and selectivity of metal hexacyanoferrates to such ions is provided by thermodynamic background non-electroactive cations are entrapped in the films for charge compensation upon redox reactions. 

Chemical and Biological Sensors Based on Electroactive Inorganic Polycrystals... 

K.N. Thomsen and R.P. Baldwin, Evaluation of electrodes coated with metal hexacyanoferrate as amperometric sensors for non-electroactive cations in flow systems. Electroanalysis 2, 263—271 (1990). 

Y. Sato, T. Sawaguchi, Hirata, Y., F. Mizutani, and S. Yabuki, Glucose xidse/polyion complex-bilayer membrane for elimination of electroactive interferents in amperometric glucose sensor. Anal. Chim. Acta 364, 173-179 (1998). 

Chemical Sensors A Case Study of Chalcogen-Metal Bonding in Electroactive Materials... 

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