Methylene blue and neutral red electropolymerisation on AuQCM and on modified AuQCM electrodes: an electrochemical and gravimetric study

Abstract

The phenazine monomers neutral red (NR) and methylene blue (MB) have been electropolymerised on different quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) substrates: MB at AuQCM and nanostructured ultrathin sputtered carbon AuQCM (AuQCM/C), and NR on AuQCM and on layer-by-layer films of hyaluronic acid with myoglobin deposited on AuQCM (AuQCM-{HA/Mb}₆). The surface of the electrode substrates was characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the frequency changes during potential cycling electropolymerisation of the monomer were monitored by the QCM. The study investigates how the monomer chemical structure together with the electrode morphology and surface structure can influence the electropolymerisation process and the electrochemical properties of the phenazine-modified electrodes. Differences between MB and NR polymerisation, as well as between the different substrates were found. The electrochemical properties of the PNR-modified electrodes were analysed by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and compared with the unmodified AuQCM. The results are valuable for future applications of modified AuQCM as substrates for electroactive polymer film deposition and applications in redox-mediated electrochemical sensors and biosensors.