title: Carbon nanotube electrodes for electrochemiluminescence biosensors.
abstract: The present application is based on the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for biomolecular analysis using electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection technique [1]-[9]. For this purpose we have grown self standing cylinder-shaped blocks of multi-wall CNTs (MWCNTs) by means of a catalytic chemical vapour deposition system, fed by camphor and ferrocene gases. The blocks were subsequently back-contacted and encapsulated into epoxy resin as electrical insulator and sealant, for their use as voltammetric electrodes. A ruthenium-complex solution has been used as ECL label. It has been observed a periodical light emission that lasts for hundreds of cycles, likely due to the CNTs structure. Thanks to a data-processing algorithm which exploits this behavior, the experiments show that it is possible to obtain a great increase in detection limit as compared to the common working metal electrodes (for example Au or Pt).
authors.affiliation: Electronics Department, Politecnico di Torino, 10129, Italy. alessandro.sanginario@polito.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanginario
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Demarchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giorcelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tagliaferro
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Civera
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D002164:Camphor / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D005740:Gases; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D049449:Luminescence; D000075163:Metallocenes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D005740:Gases; D000075163:Metallocenes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010984:Platinum; D006046:Gold; D002164:Camphor; D012428:Ruthenium; C004998:ferrocene