Carbon Nanotube/Teflon Composite Electrochemical Sensors and Biosensors

TLDR

The study presents the fabrication of CNT/Teflon composite electrodes that combine CNT dispersion in a Teflon binder to achieve attractive performance. The authors examined how CNT loading affects amperometric and voltammetric responses and electrode resistance, and used SEM to characterize the CNT/Teflon surface. CNT/Teflon composites retain CNT electrocatalysis, exhibit strong activity toward hydrogen peroxide and NADH for low‑potential glucose and ethanol biosensing, accelerate electron transfer, minimize fouling, and outperform graphite/Teflon electrodes, thereby expanding CNT‑based electrochemical device applications.

Abstract

The fabrication and attractive performance of carbon nanotube (CNT)/Teflon composite electrodes, based on the dispersion of CNT within a Teflon binder, are described. The resulting CNT/Teflon material brings new capabilities for electrochemical devices by combining the advantages of CNT and "bulk" composite electrodes. The electrocatalytic properties of CNT are not impaired by their association with the Teflon binder. The marked electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide and NADH permits effective low-potential amperometric biosensing of glucose and ethanol, respectively, in connection with the incorporation of glucose oxidase and alcohol dehydrogenase/NAD(+) within the three-dimensional CNT/Teflon matrix. The accelerated electron transfer is coupled with minimization of surface fouling and surface renewability. These advantages of CNT-based composite devices are illustrated from comparison to their graphite/Teflon counterparts. The influence of the CNT loading upon the amperometric and voltammetric data, as well as the electrode resistance, is examined. SEM images offer insights into the nature of the CNT/Teflon surface. The preparation of CNT/Teflon composites overcomes a major obstacle for creating CNT-based biosensing devices and expands the scope of CNT-based electrochemical devices.