title: Ultrathin optically transparent carbon electrodes produced from layers of adsorbed proteins.
abstract: This work describes a simple, versatile, and inexpensive procedure to prepare optically transparent carbon electrodes, using proteins as precursors. Upon adsorption, the protein-coated substrates were pyrolyzed under reductive conditions (5% H2) to form ultrathin, conductive electrodes. Because proteins spontaneously adsorb to interfaces forming uniform layers, the proposed method does not require a precise control of the preparation conditions, specialized instrumentation, or expensive precursors. The resulting electrodes were characterized by a combination of electrochemical, optical, and spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-concept, the optically transparent electrodes were also used as substrate for the development of an electrochemical glucose biosensor. The proposed films represent a convenient alternative to more sophisticated, and less available, carbon-based nanomaterials. Furthermore, these films could be formed on a variety of substrates, without classical limitations of size or shape.
authors: Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States.
authors: Sarah A
authors: SA
authors: Alharthi
authors: Tomás E
authors: TE
authors: Benavidez
authors: Carlos D
authors: CD
authors: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins; D002244:Carbon; D005947:Glucose