title: Plasma-Modified, Epitaxial Fabricated Graphene on SiC for the Electrochemical Detection of TNT.
abstract: Using square wave voltammetry, we show an increase in the electrochemical detection of trinitrotoluene (TNT) with a working electrode constructed from plasma modified graphene on a SiC surface vs. unmodified graphene. The graphene surface was chemically modified using electron beam generated plasmas produced in oxygen or nitrogen containing backgrounds to introduce oxygen or nitrogen moieties. The use of this chemical modification route enabled enhancement of the electrochemical signal for TNT, with the oxygen treatment showing a more pronounced detection than the nitrogen treatment. For graphene modified with oxygen, the electrochemical response to TNT can be fit to a two-site Langmuir isotherm suggesting different sites on the graphene surface with different affinities for TNT. We estimate a limit of detection for TNT equal to 20 ppb based on the analytical standard S/N ratio of 3. In addition, this approach to sensor fabrication is inherently a high-throughput, high-volume process amenable to industrial applications. High quality epitaxial graphene is easily grown over large area SiC substrates, while plasma processing is a rapid approach to large area substrate processing. This combination facilitates low cost, mass production of sensors.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. scott.trammell@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Trammell
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. hernandez.hangarter@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Sandra C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. rachael.myers-ward@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Rachael L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Myers-Ward
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. daniel.zabetakis@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zabetakis
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. david.stenger@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stenger
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. gaskill@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: D Kurt
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Gaskill
authors.affiliation: U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA. scott.walton@nrl.navy.mil.
authors.forename: Scott G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Walton
keywords: electrochemical detection; epitaxial graphene; plasma modified graphene; square wave voltammetry