Dopamine wide range detection sensor based on modified Co3O4 nanowires electrode

Ultra-thin cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanowires grown on gold coated glass substrates by the hydrothermal chemical deposition and have been used as a wide range dopamine potentiometric sensor. An anionic surfactant (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate) was used to achieve assisted growth procedure. Moreover, a polymeric membrane containing polyvinyl chloride as plasticized polymer, β-cyclodextrin as ionophore, and potassium tetrakis (4-chlorophenyl) borate as ionic additive were immobilized on the Co3O4 nanostructures through electrostatic adsorption method. X-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the electrodes while ultraviolet-visible absorption was used to investigate the band gap of the Co3O4 nanostructures. The structural characterization showed a cubic crystalline, pure phase, and nanowires morphology of the Co3O4. However, the morphology is altered when the surfactant concentration has been changed. The Co3O4 chemical modified electrodes were used in potentiometric measurements for dopamine in a 10 −2 M acetic acid/sodium acetate solution having a pH of 5.45. For dopamine range from 10-9 M to 10-2 M, the potential response of the sensor electrode was linear with a slope of 52mV/decade. The wide range and high sensitivity of the modified Co3O4 nanowires based sensor for dopamine is attributed to the defects on the metal oxide that is dictated by the used surfactant along with the high surface area-to-volume ratio.