Comparative Study of Different Cross-Linking Agents for the Immobilization of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes within a Chitosan Film Supported on a Graphite−Epoxy Composite Electrode

Abstract

The effectiveness of immobilization of functionalized carbon nanotubes into chitosan using different cross-linking agents has been evaluated. The cross-linkers used were glyoxal (GO), glutaraldehyde (GA), epichlorohydrin (ECH), and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide together with N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC-NHS), and the nanotubes were retained on graphite epoxy resin composite electrodes. The nanotube modified electrodes have been characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Using CV and EIS in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III), the electroactive area of all types of electrodes was determined and the redox process analyzed, leading to the conclusion that ECH and EDC-NHS are better for immobilization of functionalized carbon nanotubes inside the chitosan matrix. The modified electrodes were successfully applied to the determination of hydrogen peroxide by fixed potential amperometry at −0.1 V vs SCE, the highest response being exhibited when using ECH.