Gold modified polyaniline nanowire electrode arrays

• Main Author: Choo, Winston Cai Min
• Other Authors: Liu Erjia
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Nanotechnology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16131
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A thin film of polycarbonate with numerous cylindrical nanopores was used as a template for growing polyaniline (PANI) nanowire arrays. A gold layer was initially sputtered at the polycarbonate template (PCT) with pore-diameter of 100 nm to form a conductive substrate. Within the nanopores, the PANI nanowires were electrochemically deposited from a diluted sulfuric acid solution containing aniline monomer, which was done using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The PANI nanowire arrays electrode was used successfully for the voltammetric determination of heavy metal, lead (Pb) in a 0.1 M acetate buffer solution of pH 5.3. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) was used in the investigation of the trace of Pb(II) ions. Factors and varying stripping parameters were investigated and an optimized analytical procedure for the SWASV was developed. The results showed that the PANI nanowire arrays were significant enough to detect the tested metal ions. The technology of polymeric nanowires has shown its potential to positively impact analytical application in the testing of water quality.