Electrochemical dopamine detection: Comparing gold and carbon fiber microelectrodes using background subtracted fast scan cyclic voltammetry

• Published in: Journal of electroanalytical chemistry (Lausanne, Switzerland) Vol. 614; no. 1; pp. 113 - 120
• Main Authors: Zachek, Matthew K., Hermans, Andre, Wightman, R. Mark, McCarty, Gregory S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.01.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Au microelectrode; Biological and medical sciences; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Carbon fiber microelectrode; Chemistry; Dopamine; Electrochemistry; Electrodes: preparations and properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General and physical chemistry; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Other electrodes; Various methods and equipments; Au microelectrode; Carbon fiber microelectrode; Dopamine; Gold; Chemical analysis; Adsorption isotherm; Transition metal; Catecholamine; Langmuir isotherm; Electrochemical detector; Cyclic voltammetry; Adsorption; Biosensor; Microelectrode; Comparative study; Carbon fiber; Flow injection
• ISSN: 1572-6657; 1873-2569
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jelechem.2007.11.007

Electrochemical detection is becoming increasingly important for the detection of biological species. Most current biological research with electrochemical detection is done with carbon fiber electrodes due to their many beneficial properties. The ability to build electrochemical sensor from noble metals instead of carbon fibers may be beneficial in developing inexpensive multiplexed electrochemical detection schemes. To advance understanding and to test the feasibility of using noble metal electrochemical sensors the detection of dopamine, a biologically important small molecule was studied here. Specifically, dopamine detection on gold microelectrodes was characterized and compared to P-55 carbon fiber microelectrodes of the same geometry, using background subtracted fast scan cyclic voltammetry. While not as sensitive to dopamine as carbon fibers, it was observed that gold microelectrodes have six times the saturation coverage per area and 40 times the linear working range. Selectivity to dopamine, in comparison to several other neurotransmitters and their derivatives, is also quantitatively described.