Development of Graphenated Polyamic Acid Sensors for Electroanalytical Detection of Anthracene

Abstract:

Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are typically present in environmental samples at very low concentrations. Therefore, extensive sample preparation is necessary to enhance the signal for analytical determination of these compounds by classical methods based on chromatography or spectroscopy. In this study an electrochemical sensor for anthracene based on polyamic acid- graphene oxide (PAA-GO) nanocomposite electrode was prepared for application in the direct analysis of small volumes of samples with minimal pre-treatment steps. Polyamic acid and graphene oxide (GO) are materials with well-defined electrochemistry of their own and both are readily synthesised under ambient laboratory conditions. The sensor was prepared by cyclic voltammetric co-deposition of PAA and GO onto a commercial screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) in five voltammetric cycles with initial and switch potentials of -1000 mV and +1000 mV, respectively, at a potential scan rate of 50 mV/s. The sensor materials (GO, PAA and PAA-GO) were characterised by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), while their corresponding screen printed electrode systems (GO/SPCE, PAA/SPCE and PAA-GO/SPCE) were evaluated as possible chemical sensors for anthracene.

• Periodical: Journal of Nano Research (Volume 43)
• Pages: 11-22
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.43.11
• Online since: September 2016
• Authors: Siyabulela Hamnca*, Meryk Ward, Xolani Terrance Ngema, Emmanuel Iwuoha, Priscilla Gloria Lorraine Baker
• Keywords: Anthracene, Electrochemical Sensor, Electrochemistry, Graphene Oxide, Polyamic Acid

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