The use of mesoporous gold as electrode material for measurement of electrochemical capacitance is investigated. The electrodes possess a pore size in the range of 10 to 30 nm and are prepared by de-alloying films of AuAl x , where x≥2. Analyses conducted with X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) show that their surfaces are essentially pure gold, with only traces of aluminium remaining. The electrodes show near-ideal capacitor behaviour under both cyclic voltammetry and potential-step conditions. The higher capacitance of the mesoporous electrodes leads to a better dynamic range in potential-step experiments, resulting in improved accuracy of measurement. The sensitivity of the new material as a capacitive sensor is demonstrated in a milk fouling experiment, and is improved by up to 30 times compared to the control sample of ordinary planar gold. We propose that the use of mesoporous gold electrodes offer a convenient way to sensitively and accurately amplify the capacitance signal of an electrochemical sensor.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.