Construction and applications of electrochemical microsensors

Abstract

Increasing concerns for environmental control, health care and effective process monitoring have created considerable demands for innovative analytical methodologies. New devices and protocols with in situ real-time monitoring capability are particularly needed for addressing the challenges. The coupling of modem electrochemical detection principles with recent advances in molecular recognition, microelectronics, and microfabrication has led to powerful, compact, and ``user-friendly`` analytical devices. The unique features of such electrochemical monitoring systems make them particularly attractive for addressing environmental and industrial problems. These developments allow the instrument to be taken to the sample (rather than the traditional way of bringing the sample to the laboratory) and hence to ensure effective process or pollution control. Such devices can perform automated chemical analyses in complex matrices and provide rapid, reliable and inexpensive measurements of a variety of inorganic and organic pollutants. To match the increasing demand to chemical sensor systems, electrochemical sensors were made in our laboratory. The electrochemical sensors including solid state reference electrode, silicon based in situ FT-IR cells, micro environmental sensors, and indium-tin oxide based enzyme sensors are introduced in this article These sensors were examined by various electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, bulk electrolysis and square wave anodic stripping voltammetry as well as other traditional analytical methods like spectrometry and ICP/MS. They were proven to be powerful sensors, and these sensors can be applied in many practical situations. The detailed explanation to individual sensor is given in each chapter.