Pyrolytic carbon nanograss electrodes for electrochemical detection of dopamine

Abstract

Carbon microelectrodes are being used extensively in numerous applications due to their intriguing and promising material properties. Here, we present the optimized fabrication of carbon nanograss (CNG) electrodes with a single-step UV lithography with SU-8 photoresist followed by maskless reactive-ion etching and pyrolysis. This simple method provides nanostructured carbon electrodes with high surface area suitable for electrochemical applications such as biosensing or electrochemical monitoring of cells. The effects of the initial SU-8 film thickness and the etching time on the electrochemical response of the electrodes was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Finally, the CNG electrodes were tested for electrochemical detection of dopamine and compared with 2D pyrolytic carbon electrodes without nanograss. The carbon electrodes with the highest CNG displayed an approximately 2-fold increase in electrochemical signals compared to the 2D electrodes due to the increase in electrode surface area.