title: Boron-Enhanced Growth of Micron-Scale Carbon-Based Nanowalls: A Route toward High Rates of Electrochemical Biosensing.
abstract: In this study, we have demonstrated the fabrication of novel materials called boron-doped carbon nanowalls (B:CNWs), which are characterized by remarkable electrochemical properties such as high standard rate constant (k°), low peak-to-peak separation value (ΔE) for the oxidation and reduction processes of the [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-redox system, and low surface resistivity. The B:CNW samples were deposited by the microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using a gas mixture of H2/CH4/B2H6and N2. Growth results in sharp-edged, flat, and long CNWs rich in sp2as well as sp3hybridized phases. The achieved high values of k° (1.1 × 10-2cm s-1) and ΔE (85 mV) are much lower compared to those of the glassy carbon or undoped CNWs. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the B:CNW electrode facilitates the simultaneous detection of DNA purine bases: adenine and guanine. Both separated oxidation peaks for the independent determination of guanine and adenine were observed by means of cyclic voltammetry or differential pulse voltammetry. It is worth noting that the determined sensitivities and the current densities were about 1 order of magnitude higher than those registered by other electrodes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Plasma and Laser Engineering, The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences , 14 Fiszera Street, 80-231 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siuzdak
authors.forename: Mateusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ficek
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobaszek
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryl
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gnyba
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk , 63 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niedziałkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk , 63 Wita Stwosza Street, 80-952 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malinowska
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karczewski
authors.forename: Robert
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7543-2620
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bogdanowicz
keywords: Boron-doped carbon nanowalls; DNA purine bases; cyclic voltammetry; differential pulse voltammetry; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy