Fabrication of a polyaniline ultramicroelectrode via a self assembled monolayer modified gold electrode

Herein, we report a simple and inexpensive way for the fabrication of an ultramicroelectrode and present its characterization by electrochemical techniques. The fabrication of polyaniline UME involves only two steps: modification of a gold (Au) electrode by self assembled monolayers (SAM) and then electrodeposition of polyaniline film on this thiol-coated Au electrode by using cyclic voltammetry and constant potential electrolysis methods. Two types of self-assembled monolayers (4-mercapto-1-butanol, MB, and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid, MUA) were used, respectively, to see the effect of chain length on microelectrode formation. Microelectrode fabrication and utility of the surface was investigated by cyclic voltammetric measurements in a redox probe. The thus prepared polyaniline microelectrode was then used for DNA immobilization. Discrimination between double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was obtained with enhanced electrochemical signals compared to a polyaniline-coated Au electrode. Different modifications on the electrode surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).