Enhanced potentiometry by metallic nanoparticles

Measuring the oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) requires an interface that is not selective toward specific species but exchanges electrons with all redox couples in the solution. Sluggish electron transfer (ET) kinetics with the species will not reflect the "true" Eh of the solution. Here, we present a novel approach by which adsorbed metal nanoparticles (NPs) are used for enhancing ET exchange rates between redox species and electrode surface and therefore affect significantly the measurement of the open circuit potential (OCP) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The OCP and CV of various organic and inorganic species such as l-dopa, dopac, iron(II), and iodide are measured by bare stainless steel and by stainless steel modified by either Pt or Au NPs. We study the effect of the surface coverage of the stainless steel surface by NPs on the electrochemical response. Moreover, the stainless steel electrode was modified simultaneously by Au and Pt nanoparticles. This improved concurrently the stainless steel response (CV and potentiometry) toward two different species; l-dopa, which shows fast electron transfer on Pt, and catechol, which exhibits fast electron transfer on Au. We believe that this approach could be a first step toward developing a superior electrode for measuring the "true" Eh of complex aquatic systems.