Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical properties of 5-aza[5]helicene-CH2O-CO-MWCNTs nanocomposite

F Fontana; F Melone; D Iannazzo; S G Leonardi; G Neri

doi:10.1088/1361-6528/aa5e80

Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical properties of 5-aza[5]helicene-CH₂O-CO-MWCNTs nanocomposite

Nanotechnology. 2017 Mar 1;28(13):135501. doi: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa5e80. Epub 2017 Feb 6.

Authors

F Fontana¹, F Melone, D Iannazzo, S G Leonardi, G Neri

Affiliation

¹ INSTM Bergamo R.U. and Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Bergamo, I-24044 Dalmine (BG), Italy.

PMID: 28165331
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa5e80

Abstract

In this study, we report the preparation of a novel nanocomposite, 5-aza[5]helicene-CH₂O-CO-MWCNTs, obtained by grafting the 5-aza[5]helicene moiety on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Thermogravimetry (TGA), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet (UV), and photoluminescence (PL) measurements provided evidence that the organic moiety is covalently grafted to the MWCNTs. The 5-aza[5]helicene-CH₂O-CO-MWCNTs nanocomposite was utilized to fabricate modified commercial screen-printed carbon electrodes. Its electrochemical behavior was studied in neutral buffer solution in the presence of ferricyanide and hydroquinone (HQ). Finally, the electrochemical sensing of epinephrine in the presence of ascorbic acid by using the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique was investigated. Results have demonstrated the enhanced electrocatalytic activity and excellent ability of the 5-aza[5]helicene-CH₂O-CO-MWCNTs-modified electrode in the separation between the anodic peaks of epinephrine (EP) and ascorbic acid (AA), even in the presence of a high amount of AA, with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 5 μmol l^-1.