22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Fabrication and Characterization of Surfaces with Heterogeneous Activity Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy
Dmitriy Chernookiy
Dr. Brian D. Lamp, Faculty Mentor
The miniaturization of analytical instruments presents many unique challenges. Scaling down bench-top instruments to a portable level does not necessarily involve the direct reduction of component size, and often reveals fundamental technique limits. Consequently, reliable methods are needed to produce and characterize prototype models. Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is one such method, providing the opportunity to map chemical activity at a surface over small-scale areas, thus facilitating several aspects of microsensor design. This project utilizes SECM to prepare, modify and characterize active sites on anodized glassy carbon electrode surfaces, including the deposition of gold within the sites and subsequent deactivation with an alkanethiol. Imaging experiments of the resulting interfaces indicate that activity can be controlled on the micrometer scale with conventional microelectrode probes. Further studies with microcontact printing using a novel stamping technique indicate that thiol patterns may be successfully transferred to gold substrates.
Keywords: SECM, electrode, electrochemistry, analytical, instrument, sensor
Topic(s):Chemistry
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 8-4
Location: VH 1236
Time: 9:00