title: Carbon Nanotubes with Tailored Density of Electronic States for Electrochemical Applications.
abstract: The density of electronic states (DOS) is an intrinsic electronic property that works conclusively in the electrochemistry of carbon materials. However, seldom has it been reported how the DOS at the Fermi level influences the electrochemical activity. In this work, we synthesized partially and fully unzipped carbon nanotubes by longitudinally unzipping pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We then studied the electrochemical activity and biosensitivity of carbon materials by means of the CNTs and their derivatives to elucidate the effect of the DOS on their electrochemical performances. Tailoring of the DOS for the CNT derivatives could be conveniently realized by varying the sp(2)/sp(3) ratio (i.e., graphite concentration) through manipulating the oxidative unzipping degree. Despite the diverse electron transfer mechanisms and influence factors of the four investigated redox probes (IrCl6(2-), [Fe(CN)6](3-), Fe(3+), and ascorbic acid), the CNT derivatives exhibited consistent kinetic behaviors, wherein CNTs with a high DOS showed superior electrochemical response compared with partially and fully unzipped carbon nanotubes. For biological detection, the CNTs could simultaneously distinguish ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid, while the three CNT derivatives could all differentiate phenethylamine and epinephrine existed in the newborn calf serum. Moreover, the three CNT derivatives all presented wide linear detection ranges with high sensitivities for dopamine, phenethylamine, and epinephrine.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University , 2 Xueyuan Road, Fuzhou 350116, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yingpan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University , 2 Xueyuan Road, Fuzhou 350116, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huifang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University , 2 Xueyuan Road, Fuzhou 350116, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University , 2 Xueyuan Road, Fuzhou 350116, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongbing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002417:Cattle; D058266:Dielectric Spectroscopy; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D004583:Electrons; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000032:analysis; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010627:Phenethylamines; C029261:phenethylamine; D004298:Dopamine; D004837:Epinephrine
keywords: Fermi level; biomolecules; carbon nanotube derivatives; density of electronic states; graphite concentration; newborn calf serum; redox probes