The areas of electrochemistry and electroanalysis are presently highly active, with a broad impact on engineering and science, since in many ways it provides the essential link between the nano, the micro, and the macro worlds. It thus bridges from molecular science over into engineering.

Larger photo “The areas of electrochemistry and electroanalysis are presently highly active, with a broad impact on engineering and science, since in many ways it provides the essential link between the nano, the micro, and the macro worlds.”

The paper in question shows how the rational and intelligent choice/design of an electrode surface can greatly improve the response of chemical and bio-sensors. In the present case, the edge plane surface of graphitic carbon is shown to provide much faster electrode kinetics for the oxidation of the important biological molecule NADH—reduced b-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide—a coenzyme molecule formed from vitamin B3.

The insight that edge plane graphite has fast, electrode kinetics, is of generic significance for a large number of electroanalytical tasks. Thus, improved Clark cell gas sensors—notably for chlorine and ammonia—have been constructed, as well as much-improved protocols for the determination of thiols (such as cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione) and the measurement of manganese in environmental aquatic systems.

Recent years have seen the use of carbon nanotubes for the modification of electrode surfaces, leading to improved sensors. By "improved," I mean "more sensitive," with lower limits of detection, as well as enhanced sensitivity. By inquiring rationally into the physico-chemical origin of these effects, we have been able to identify edge-plane graphite as a convenient macro-material and the electrode-of-choice for many chemical-sensing tasks.

To be honest, we were amazed at the number of papers which were appearing and which reported the almost magical transformation of electrode surfaces into highly electrocatalytic interfaces through their modification with carbon nanotubes. We simply asked the question "why?"

We are at a time in which the world is changing very rapidly in many ways. The need for sensitive and selective detectors is of ever-increasing importance—be it in looking at the effects of climate change or stopping terrorists attempting to board a plane carrying a tiny but lethal amount of explosives. Electrochemical detectors offer a huge potential contribution.