Discrimination of dopamine and ascorbic acid using carbon nanotube fiber microelectrodes

The detection of dopamine is a scientific challenge of great importance for the understanding of neurobiological dysfunctions. However the presence of ascorbic acid at concentrations several times higher than that of dopamine and its oxidation at a very similar potential make a selective electrochemical detection difficult. Here we report the original and intrinsic selectivity of carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber microelectrodes (CNTFM) towards dopamine oxidation without significant interaction from ascorbic acid.