Impact electrochemistry: colloidal metal sulfide detection by cathodic particle coulometry

The determination of the size and concentration of colloidal nano and microparticles is of paramount importance to modern nanoscience. Application of the particle collision technique on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles has been intensively explored over the past decade owing to its ability to determine the particle size and concentration via reactions including the inherent oxidation or the reduction of nanoparticles as well as surface reactions catalysed by the nanoparticles. Transition metal dichalcogenide particles were previously quantified using the anodic (oxidative) particle coulometry method. Here we show that cathodic (reductive) particle coulometry can be favorably used for the detection of metal sulfide colloidal particles. The detection of sulfides of cobalt and lead was performed using the particle collision technique in this work. The presence of spikes confirmed the viability of detecting new and larger particles from compounds using reductive (cathodic) potentials. Such an expansion of the impact particle coulometry method will be useful and applicable to the determination of concentration and size of colloidal metal sulfide nanoparticles in general.

Impact Electrochemistry of Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit paramount importance in the electrocatalysis of the hydrogen evolution reaction. It is crucial to determine the size of the electrocatalytic particles as well as to establish their electrocatalytic activity, which occurs at the edges of these particles. Here, we show that individual TMD (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, or WSe2; in general MX2) nanoparticles impacting an electrode surface provide well-defined current "spikes" in both the cathodic and anodic regions. These spikes originate from direct oxidation of the nanoparticles (from M(4+) to M(6+)) at the anodic region and from the electrocatalytic currents generated upon hydrogen evolution in the cathodic region. The positive correlation between the frequency of the impacts and the concentration of TMD nanoparticles is also demonstrated here, enabling determination of the concentration of TMD nanoparticles in colloidal form. In addition, the size of individual TMD nanoparticles can be evaluated using the charge passed during every spike. The capability of detecting both the "indirect" catalytic effect of an impacting TMD nanoparticle as well as "direct" oxidation indicates that the frequency of impacts in both the "indirect" and "direct" scenarios are comparable. This suggests that all TMD nanoparticles, which are electrochemically oxidizable (thus capable of donating electrons to electrodes), are also capable of catalyzing the hydrogen reduction reaction.

Electrochemical monitoring of colloidal silver nanowires in aqueous samples

Silver nanowires (NWs) are increasingly utilized in technological materials and consumer products, but an effective analytical technique is not yet available to measure their concentration in the environment. Here, we present an electrochemical method to quantify Ag NWs suspended in aqueous solution. Using linear sweep voltammetry, the Ag NWs are identified by the peak potential while their concentration is revealed by the intensity of the peak current. The peak current varies linearly with the Ag NW concentration with a low detection limit of 3.50 ng mL(-1). This method is also successfully applied to quantify Ag NWs in mixtures with nanoparticles, through their specific oxidation behavior, and in wastewater obtained after the Ag NW film preparation process.

Recent Advances in Voltammetry

Recent progress in the theory and practice of voltammetry is surveyed and evaluated. The transformation over the last decade of the level of modelling and simulation of experiments has realised major advances such that electrochemical techniques can be fully developed and applied to real chemical problems of distinct complexity. This review focuses on the topic areas of: multistep electrochemical processes, voltammetry in ionic liquids, the development and interpretation of theories of electron transfer (Butler-Volmer and Marcus-Hush), advances in voltammetric pulse techniques, stochastic random walk models of diffusion, the influence of migration under conditions of low support, voltammetry at rough and porous electrodes, and nanoparticle electrochemistry. The review of the latter field encompasses both the study of nanoparticle-modified electrodes, including stripping voltammetry and the new technique of 'nano-impacts'.

Charging and discharging at the nanoscale: Fermi level equilibration of metallic nanoparticles

The redox properties of metallic nanoparticles are discussed, in particular the relationships between excess charge, size and the Fermi level of the electrons. The redox potentials are derived using simple electrostatic models to provide a straightforward understanding of the basic phenomena. The different techniques used to measure the variation of Fermi level are presented. Finally, redox aspects of processes such as toxicity, electrochromicity and surface plasmon spectroscopy are discussed.

Electrochemical detection of a single cytomegalovirus at an ultramicroelectrode and its antibody anchoring

We report observations of stochastic collisions of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) on ultramicroelectrodes (UMEs), extending the observation of discrete collision events on UMEs to biologically relevant analytes. Adsorption of an antibody specific for a virion surface glycoprotein allowed differentiation of MCMV from MCMV bound by antibody from the collision frequency decrease and current magnitudes in the electrochemical collision experiments, which shows the efficacy of the method to size viral samples. To add selectivity to the technique, interactions between MCMV, a glycoprotein-specific primary antibody to MCMV, and polystyrene bead "anchors," which were functionalized with a secondary antibody specific to the Fc region of the primary antibody, were used to affect virus mobility. Bead aggregation was observed, and the extent of aggregation was measured using the electrochemical collision technique. Scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy further supported aggregate shape and extent of aggregation with and without MCMV. This work extends the field of collisions to biologically relevant antigens and provides a novel foundation upon which qualitative sensor technology might be built for selective detection of viruses and other biologically relevant analytes.

Electrochemistry of a single attoliter emulsion droplet in collisions

We report here the electrochemistry of emulsion droplets by observing single emulsion droplet collisions with selective electrochemical reduction on an ultramicroelectrode (UME). With appropriately applied potentials at an UME, we can observe the electrochemical effects of single collision signals from the complete electrolysis of single emulsion droplets, or selective electrolysis of redox species in single emulsion droplets. This was observed with nitrobenzene (NB), 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), and ionic liquid. The NB, TCNQ, and ionic liquid act as emulsion material, redox specie, and emulsifier (and electrolyte), respectively. NB emulsions and NB (TCNQ) emulsions were made by ultrasonic processing. During the amperometric current-time (i-t) curve measurement with NB/water emulsion at -0.65 V, reduction of NB emulsion droplets was measured. In the case of less negative potentials, e.g., at -0.45 V with a NB (TCNQ) emulsion, selective reduction of TCNQ in NB droplet was measured. Spike-like responses from electrolysis of NB or TCNQ in each experiment were observed. From these single-particle collision results of NB and NB (TCNQ) emulsions, the collision frequency, size distribution, i-t decay behavior of emulsion droplets, and possible mechanisms are discussed.

Single particle electrochemistry of p-hydroxythiophenol-labeled gold nanoparticles

Electroactive p-hydroxythiophenol (p-HTP) monolayer on a gold nanoparticle surface produced an amplified single particle-collision electrochemical signal.

Square-Wave Voltammetric Determination of Nanomolar Levels of Linuron in Environmental Water Samples Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified with Platinum Nanoparticles within a Dihexadecyl Phosphate Film

A new sensitive method for linuron determination using a glassy carbon electrode modified with platinum nanoparticles within a dihexadecyl phosphate film (PtNPs-DHP/GCE) and square-wave voltammetry was proposed. The PtNPs-DHP/GCE was characterised by scanning electron microscopy and the diameter of the Pt nanoparticles was between 13 and 34 nm. The electrochemical behaviour of linuron was studied using cyclic voltammetry and an irreversible anodic peak was obtained at a potential of 1.2 V in 0.1 mol L–1 phosphate buffer (pH 3.0) solution. The analytical curve, obtained by square-wave voltammetry after accumulation, was linear in the linuron concentration range from 1.0 to 74.0 nmol L–1, with a detection limit of 0.61 nmol L–1. This sensitive analytical method was successfully applied for linuron determination in environmental water samples with results that showed good agreement with those obtained using a comparative HPLC method.

Electrochemical observation of single collision events: fullerene nanoparticles

Individual fullerene nanoparticles are detected and sized in a non-aqueous solution via cathodic particle coulometry where the direct, quantitative reduction of single nanoparticles is achieved upon collision with a potentiostated gold electrode. This is the first time that the nanoparticle impact technique has been shown to work in a non-aqueous electrolyte and utilized to coulometrically size carbonaceous nanoparticles. Contrast is drawn between single-nanoparticle electrochemistry and that seen using nanoparticle ensembles via modified electrodes.

Nano-impacts of bifunctional organic nanoparticles

The synthesis and characterization of Oil Blue Dye nanoparticles is reported along with their use for nano-impacts experiments in aqueous solution. The latter reveal current spikes corresponding to quantitative two electron reductions due to the reduction of the quinone groups and quantitative two electron oxidations from the 1,4-phenylenediamine groups presented in the Oil Blue Dye molecules within the nanoparticles. In both cases, the oxidation or reduction leads to size distributions in good agreement with independent measurements made using dynamic light scattering showing that the redox events accompanying the nano-impacts lead to the full dissolution of the nanoparticles.

One at a time: counting single-nanoparticle/electrode collisions for accurate particle sizing by overcoming the instability of gold nanoparticles under electrolytic conditions

In response to an increasing demand for understanding electrochemical processes on the nanometer scale, it now becomes possible to monitor electron transfer reactions at the single-nanoparticle level, namely particle collision electrochemistry. This technique has great potential in the development of research tools towards single-particle electrocatalysis and selective and multiplexed particle sizing. However, one existing problem that may discourage these applications is the relatively weak colloidal stability of nanoparticles in an electrolytic solution. Here we report on a facile but efficient way to achieve a good stability of gold nanoparticles in an acidic media so that 'zero-aggregation' collisions can be achieved at a carbon ultramicroelectrode. This allows us to obtain anodic dissolution currents from individual nanoparticles in a 'one particle at a time' manner, based on which accurate particle sizing with a resolution of 1-2 nm can be achieved. Our work strongly suggests that to maintain a well dispersed nanoparticle solution during a particle impact electrochemical experiment is critically important for accurate particle sizing, as well as other applications that require information to be extracted from individual nanoparticles (not their aggregates).

Electrochemical detection of commercial silver nanoparticles: identification, sizing and detection in environmental media

The electrochemistry of silver nanoparticles contained in a consumer product has been studied. The redox properties of silver particles in a commercially available disinfectant cleaning spray were investigated via cyclic voltammetry before particle-impact voltammetry was used to detect single particles in both a typical aqueous electrolyte and authentic seawater media. We show that particle-impact voltammetry is a promising method for the detection of nanoparticles that have leached into the environment from consumer products, which is an important development for the determination of risks associated with the incorporation of nanotechnology into everyday products.