A rapid and sensitive method for hydroxyl radical detection on a microfluidic chip using an N-doped porous carbon nanofiber modified pencil graphite electrode

Analyst. 2014 Jul 7;139(13):3416-22. doi: 10.1039/c4an00471j.

Abstract

Hydroxyl radicals (˙OH) play an important role in human diseases. Traditional detection methods are time consuming and require expensive instruments. Here, we present a simple and sensitive method for the detection of hydroxyl radicals on a microfluidic chip using an electrochemical technique. Aniline monomer is electrochemically polymerized on the surface of a pencil graphite electrode and carbonized at 800 °C. The resulting N-doped porous carbon nanofiber-modified pencil graphite electrode is embedded into a microfluidic chip directly as a working electrode. 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA) is selected as the trapping agent owing to its unique 3,4-DHBA product and high trapping efficiency. A low detection limit of 1.0 × 10(-6) M is achieved on the microfluidic chip. As a demonstration, the microfluidic chip is successfully utilized for the detection of ˙OH in cigarette smoke. The strong π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions between the nitrogen-doped carbon materials and the pencil graphite make the modified electrode well-suited for the microfluidic chip.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carbon / chemistry
  • Electrochemical Techniques / economics
  • Electrochemical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Equipment Design
  • Graphite / chemistry*
  • Hydroxyl Radical / analysis*
  • Limit of Detection
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / economics
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Nanofibers / chemistry*
  • Nanofibers / ultrastructure
  • Nicotiana / chemistry
  • Parabens / chemistry
  • Porosity
  • Smoke / analysis

Substances

  • Parabens
  • Smoke
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Carbon
  • Graphite
  • 4-hydroxybenzoic acid