REU/RET Projects

NANOSCALE MODIFIED ELECTRODES FOR SENSING AND CATALYSIS

Faculty Mentors: Prof. Diego J. Diaz

Research Description:

Often overlooked, electrochemistry has been making great contributions in the areas of sensors and catalysis. Few techniques can benefit as greatly as electrochemistry from working on the nanoscale. Our research group is currently exploring the preparation and utilization of novel, nanostructured, modified electrodes that exhibit enhanced sensing and catalytic properties. Moreover, the preparation of nanoscale composite oxide/metal electrodes that are being applied into the sensing of reactive oxygen species and in the catalytic, direct electro-oxidation of alcohols. The oxidation of alcohols without need of a reformer can provide novel alternative fuels to power our electronic devices and preliminary results show great promise by using nanostructured electrodes. Nanostructured electrodes also show great promise in sensing by improving the kinetics of electron transfer and by providing an enhanced surface area with increased number of binding sites for better detection limits. These two areas show great promise, but a detailed, electrochemical characterization is required in order to understand the mechanisms in which either sensing or catalysis take place on the nanoscale domains.
The undergraduate students will be involved in:

• Preparation and characterization of novel nanostructured electrodes
• Amperometric and electrocatalytic applications of the electrodes
• Electrochemical studies to determine the kinetic performance and optimization of the electrode