Amperometric Phenol Sensors Employing Conducting Polymer Microtubule Structure

An amperometric sensor for the determination of phenolic compounds in waste water was developed adopting microtubule structure of conducting polymer. The tubule structure used for enzyme immobilization was manufactured by the electrochemical polymerization of EDOT into a polycarbonate template membrane. The microtubule worked as a container retaining enzymes as well as a current collector for the electrochemical reaction of the species inside. Enzyme species, for example tyrosinase stored inside the tubule converts the phenolic substrates into quinones. The quinone product was an electrochemically detectable product, which was detected at −100 mV vs. Ag/AgCl by the tubule electrode. The calibration curve showed linearity in the range of 0∼6 μM of phenols. The Sensitivities of the biosensor for catechol were 3.1 μA/μM·cm2.