Electroactivity of chemical and plasma modified single-walled carbon nanotubes to application of glucose detection

Acid treatment to the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is widely used to produce chemical functional group-substituted CNTs. However, more effective substitution of chemical functional groups is available with the O₂ plasma treatment because the O₂ plasma targets not only the end position but also the side-wall region of the CNTs. Amperometric results from glucose oxidase (GOD)-modified CNT electrodes confirmed that at least two times of larger effective working electrode area was observed with the O₂ plasma treatment as compared to the acid treatment.