Themed collection Future Electroanalytical Developments

Professor Robert Forster and Dr Blánaid White of Dublin City University present an overview of the Eirelec '11 conference, which inspired the idea for the Future Electroanalytical Developments web-based themed issue in Analyst and Analytical Methods.

The achievements on electrochemical fabrications of fluorescent nanoparticles are reviewed.

This review covers the production, functionalization and application of graphene – the promising material for the bright future of electroanalytical chemistry.

Isolation of biomaterials based on receptor-functionalized microengines.

The incorporation of novel nanobiotechnological concepts such as aptamers, nanoparticles, nanotubes and magnetic beads, in sensing and transducing strategies is providing with high-performance electrochemical biosensors for toxin detection.

This review covers the main features related to the instrumental setup of capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection for analytical and bioanalytical assays on microfluidic chips.

Due to the significance of hydrogen peroxide in biological systems and practical applications, the development of efficient electrochemical H₂O₂ sensors holds a special attraction for researchers. The aim of this review is to summarize the recent advances since 2000 and gain an insight into the materials used in the electrocatalytic sensing of H₂O₂.

The preparation and application of a simple silver/silver sulfate reference electrode for aqueous solution, which can be used as an alternative in chloride-free systems, is presented.

Anatase TiO₂ nanoparticle–graphene nanocomposites with enhanced direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin and biosensing for H₂O₂ were synthesized via a facile, one-step approach in aqueous solution at room temperature.

An electrochemical, label-free method was developed to detect folate receptor positive tumor cells with polydopamine-coated carbon nanotubes–folate nanoprobes.

A voltammetric method for sensitive and selective Hg²⁺ determination is demonstrated by rational functionalization of graphene oxide with cysteamine.

This work presents a method for and a model which explains enhanced DNA detection using an alkaline phosphatase amplification reaction and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Pretreated AB/CPE exhibits high accumulation efficiency owing to the presence of nanocarbon particles and anodic pretreatment and the detection limit of insulin was found to be 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ M by statistical calculation.

In this study, carbon nanotube paste electrodes (CNTPEs) have been characterised using their ohmic resistance, R_CNTPE, when examining a set of six different electrodes prepared from three types of CNTs and two altered pasting liquids (binders); the latter represented by traditional mineral or silicone oils.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy was used for time-resolved studies of passive transport of substances across cell monolayers. Different transport mechanisms could be distinguished using hydrophilic and lipophilic redox mediators and switching the probe potential.

A novel electrochemical sensor based on boronic acid functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes was successfully employed to detect astragaloside IV using ARS as the current indicator.

In a new FI-ECL flow chip, a simple and sensitive sensor reveals good performance for ECL analysis, and opens new avenues for the applications of QDs in ECL biosensors.

An electrochemical immuno-biosensor for detecting glycosylated haemoglobin is reported based on glassy carbon electrodes with a mixed layer of an oligo(phenylethynylene) molecular wire and an oligo(ethylene glycol).

The electroanalytical performance of a commercially available CVD grown graphene electrode is explored and contrasted to that of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite electrodes.

A non-enzymatic direct electrochemical glycerol detection method at a boron-doped diamond electrode in alkaline media is reported.

A combination of electrogravimetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is introduced as a tool for a detailed characterisation of dynamic electrocatalytic systems.

Redox behaviour of the Fe³⁺-substituted Dawson-type polyoxometalate in solution (red curve) and within a polypyrrole film (black curve).

The stannum–bismuth composite film electrode revealed good electroanalytical performance for stripping analysis of trace heavy metals.

Graphene sheets are used for the first time to fabricate a solid-contact ion-selective electrode (SC-ISE) as the intermediate layer.

A multi-walled carbon nanotube composite electrode incorporating polyaniline (PANI) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) is presented. Its electroanalytical performance is explored by diffusing aniline and PAA into Nafion-MWCNTs membranes supported upon a platinum macrodisc electrode.

Previously unreported voltammetric redox behaviour was identified for flunitrazepam, lorazepam and diazepam at a glassy carbon electrode. This was successfully exploited for their determination in serum by high performance liquid chromatography dual electrode detection in the redox mode.

The techniques of impedance spectroscopy and voltammetry have been combined to investigate the effects of temperature and voltage variations on several performance-indicator electrical parameters of a silicon solar cell.

Surfactant free graphene is utilised towards the electroanalytical sensing of cadmium where surprisingly we find there to be no advantages of employing graphene in this analytical context.

Redox-magnetohydrodynamics with 1,4-benzoquinone enhances preconcentration in differential pulse anodic stripping analysis of metals, giving improved detection limits, without rinsing.

Novel Au nanoparticles with PAMAM G-4 dendron and aniline moieties were prepared and electropolymerized on a gold electrode surface. This 3D matrix was used to build an enzyme biosensor towards cathecol.

The present work describes the application of a novel bio-electronic tongue using an array of enzyme-modified voltammetric biosensors to the simultaneous determination of phenolic compounds in wine.

The consumption of H⁺ on the cathode provided the driving force for hydroquinone transport towards the anode to be oxidized to quinone.

The MgFe₂O₄ NPs/CPE exhibits good electrocatalytic activity and the detection limit of dopamine was found to be 7.7 × 10⁻⁸ M by statistical calculation.

Voltammetric responses of DNA bases (G), intercalator (Th), [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− (ΔI_rel) and charge transfer resistance (ΔR_ct,rel) indicate gradual changes such as helix opening, single strand breaks up to leaching of DNA fragments from the electrode.

Hydrous iron oxyhydroxide films grown by potential cycling are effective electrocatalysts for the energetically demanding anodic oxygen evolution reaction.

Simultaneous determination of two neurotransmitters, norepinephrine (NEP) and serotonin (5-HT) was achieved using the electropolymerized film of 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole.

A simple method to immobilize poly(neutral red) (PNR) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) hybrid film (PNR/FAD) by cyclic voltammetry is proposed.

Co-immobilisation of enzymes and redox hydrogels within highly ordered macroporous gold electrodes provides improved power output from a glucose/oxygen biofuel cell operating under physiological conditions.

A microfluidic device coupled to a screen-printed carbon electrode with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles for the alternative serological diagnosis of Chagas disease was developed.

A parametric function is proposed for the resolution of non-bilinear voltammetric data including highly asymmetric signals measured by differential pulse and linear sweep voltammetries.

Graphite oxide, graphene oxide, electrochemically reduced graphene oxide and thermally reduced graphene oxide show differences in surface functionalities, structure and defect density and these largely influence their electrochemical behaviour in detecting the oxidation of DNA bases.

A novel electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed based on a DNA-assembling graphene platform with gold nanoparticles-catalyzed silver enhancement strategy.

The development of a disposable pH sensor for the point of care monitoring of wound pH is described.

Nafion enhances the determination of morphine at the gold modified carbon paste electrode.

The electrochemical behaviour of nanointerface arrays between immiscible electrolyte solutions was examined. The sensitivity to tetraethylammonium cation transfer across the water/1,6-dichloroethane interface increased with decreasing nanointerface size.

Bovine species were discriminated on gold surfaces by placing the mitochondrial DNA using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electrochemical microscopy.