Investigations into the use of screen-printed carbon electrodes as templates for electrochemical sensors and sonochemically fabricated microelectrode arrays

The paper critically evaluates the suitability of carbon inks as hosts for the fabrication and subsequent mass production of sonochemically produced microelectrode arrays. Two commercially available carbon inks (GEM and Dupont) were compared in terms of electroactivity towards standard redox couples, and their electroanalytical response was investigated in terms of reversibility, operational potential range, background currents and steady-state response characteristics. Following on from these findings, the inks were then subjected to simple activation and modification procedures (comprising of electrochemical, chemical and physical treatments), with a view to maximising the electrode response, in terms of how modifications to the carbon surface translate into changes in the performance characteristics of the electrodes. The results from these investigations are discussed in the context of the use of pre-treated carbon surfaces for the enhanced production of sonochemically fabricated microelectrode array sensors, for use as electrochemical sensors and biosensors.