Long Conducting and Water-Compatible Polymer/Carbon Nanotubes Nanocomposite with “Beads-on-a-String” Structure as a Highly Effective Electrochemical Sensing Material

Abstract

A novel water-compatible polymer/carbon nanocomposite with a "beads-on-a-string" nanostructure was developed by a facile one-step co-assembly of an amphiphilic random copolymer with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and successfully applied as effective electrode material for electrochemical sensing with high sensitivity. An amphiphilic photo-cross-linkable random copolymer poly(AAco-VMc-co-EHA) (PAVE) was synthesized via one-step radical polymerization. Then the PAVE copolymer was coassembled with MWCNTs noncovalently in selective solvent, generating water-compatible and "beads-on-a-string" structured polymer/carbon nanocomposites (PAVE-CNTs NCs) with PAVE nanoparticles as nanosized beads and MWCNTs as micron-long conducting strings. Then PAVE-CNTs NCs were used as electrode material for electrochemical sensing of a model target, namely, paracetamol (PCM). The resultant sensor shows significantly wider linear detection range with lower detection limit than other sensors. The excellent sensing performance was ascribed to large surface area and high electrical conductivity of the "beads-on-a-string" structured PAVE-CNTs NCs. In addition, the sensor was utilized to measure PCM in commercial tablets and urine samples, demonstrating high practicability in medical diagnosis. The synthesis method of this hierarchically structured polymer/carbon nanocomposite is facile with mild working condition and the sensor generation process is green and energy-saving, which will encourage promising applications in chemical sensors like biosensors, and other microelectronic devices.

“Olive-Structured” Nanocomposite Based on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with an Electroactive Copolymer for Environmental Nitrite Detection

“…In order to prepare the PAHN/MWCNT composite, MWCNTs and PAHN copolymers were codispersed in DMF using sonication, resulting in a homogeneous dispersion solution. In this process, the PAHN copolymer was attached onto the surface of MWCNTs via π–π interaction between the carbazole units and the hexagonal lattice structure of MWCNTs (Scheme A) . Ultrapure water, a poor solvent, was added dropwise to drive the self-assembly of PAHN, leading to the formation of co-assemblies.…”

Nonenzymatic Lactic Acid Detection Using Cobalt Polyphthalocyanine/Carboxylated Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites Modified Sensor

“…These CPs can be deposited inside the walls of carbon nanotubes to obtain a nanocomposite film with higher electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. These hybrid nanocomposite films exhibit attractive properties such as large surface area, chemical stability, and good biocompatibility [25][26][27]. Moreover, the combination of CPs and CNTs can prevent the agglomeration of CNTs by steric hindrance and electrostatic interactions.…”

Electrospun Janus Beads-On-A-String Structures for Different Types of Controlled Release Profiles of Double Drugs

“…In recent years, with the increasing advantages of micro-nano structures, some researchers have noticed unique features of beads-on-a-string and discovered that drug release could be adjusted by controlling the size of particles [ 58 , 59 ]. According to the research findings, beads-on-a-string can be prepared by uniaxial and coaxial electrospinning [ 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ], and particle diameter can be adjusted through changing polymer solution concentration and drug-loaded [ 59 ].…”