Development of novel nanostructured electrodes for biological applications

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Chemistry
Degree name
Doctor of Philosophy
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Chemistry
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2011
Authors
Garrett, David John
Abstract

This thesis describes the development and testing of a range of electrodes designed to be able to measure electrical current produced by the respiration of bacteria in direct contact with the electrode surface. The electrodes are designed to directly wire into redox processes in the cytoskeleton of the bacteria so that electron transfer can be measured in real time without the need for solution based mediator molecules. The rate of electron transfer from the bacteria is enhanced by nanostructuring the surface of graphite electrodes with vertically aligned single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and covalently coupling mediator molecules to the CNT tips. A selection of the prepared electrodes are tested with the non-electrogenic bacteria Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus subtilis to demonstrate the potential of the electrode designs to be used with a wide range of microbial species.

Description
Citation
Keywords
Electrochemistry, Carbon nanotube, biosensor
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
Copyright David John Garrett