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Studies on Electrochemical Properties of Functionalized Carbon Nanotube Bucky Paper Electrodes for Biosensor Applications

Jeremy Chupp ,Henry Papa , Leon Gonzales, Olivier Turgeon and Jhunu Chatterjee

This paper investigates the effect of different conditions for conventional acid functionalization of carbon nanotubes in order to fabricate most uniform buckypaper with enhanced electrochemical properties for biosensor applications. This study compares the electrochemical properties of those electrodes in regard to detection of a biomolecule, dopamine. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) due to its inherent structures are difficult to be dispersed in any solvent. This hinders its application in many different areas in spite of its unique electrical, mechanical and chemical resistant properties. However functionalization of CNTs with different chemical groups helps to form a homogeneous dispersion which show enhanced properties when applied in dispersion or as film. In this work multi-walled carbon nanotubes are modified with mixture of strong acids under different conditions to impart functionality in nanotubes. Further thin sheets, commonly known as buckypapers are fabricated and have been used as electrodes in electrochemical biosensors. Their electrochemical properties are compared in electrochemical sensing system for a biomolecule, dopamine, a neurotransmitter and a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease. Thermal characterizations, structural characterizations and electrochemical activity of modified CNT buckypapers towards dopamine are presented in this article.