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Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays were synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on stainless steel substrates coated by cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst. Morphological and elemental analyses conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed that bamboo-like CNTs were blocked by Co nanoparticles at the tips. The fabricated nanotubes underwent functionalization by electrochemical oxidation in sulfuric acid, and the subsequent structural studies, as well as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed that the tips of functionalized CNTs were opened while oxygenated functional groups were generated at the sidewalls and tube endings. In order to enhance the catalytic performance of the functionalized CNT-based electrodes, platinum nanoparticles were deposited on nanotubes by the potentiostatic and pulse potential electrodeposition processes, and the optimum operating parameters in both techniques were determined. The catalytic activities of these two electrodes towards methanol oxidation were determined by cyclic voltammetry (CV) testing, and a superior electrocatalytic activity and poisoning tolerance were detected for the electrode prepared by pulse deposition. The sensing performance of the pulse plated Pt/CNT electrode for the electrochemical detection and oxidation of dissolved sulfide ions was investigated. A sensitivity of 0.632 μA μM −1 cm −2 and a detection limit of 0.26 μM were obtained, indicating the enhanced capabilities of the developed sensor as a promising candidate for various industrial and environmental applications.

The sol-enhanced pulse plating (PP) technique was utilized to deposit the Ni-TiO 2 /TiO 2 multilayers on copper substrates from a Watts bath containing a TiO 2 sol, and the obtained coatings were heat treated at various temperatures. The characteristics of coatings were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible spectrophotometry. In order to estimate the wettability of these nanostructured multilayers after exposure to UV light, the contact angle of water droplets were measured, and the photocatalytic (PC) efficiency of the multilayers were analyzed by the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity of multilayer coatings for the decomposition of phenol was determined, and various potentials were applied to optimize the degradation efficiency under UV illumination. It was found that the multilayer heated at 450°C not only exhibited the greatest light-induced hydrophilicity, but also possessed the highest PC activity. This was justified on the basis of the highest percentage of the anatase phase present in the coating heated at 450°C, along with the maximum amount of absorbed hydroxyl groups as well as considerable roughness. The PEC efficiency of this multilayer was 97.22% for the degradation of phenol under the anodic potential of 600 mV along with 2h of simultaneous UV illumination.

<p class="PaperAbstract">Novel polyaniline/zinc oxide/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PANI/ZnO/MWCNT) ternary nanocomposite was fabricated as a non-enzymatic glucose biosensor. Thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was employed to synthesize vertically aligned MWCNTs on stainless steel substrates coated by Co catalyst nanoparticles. In order to fabricate sensitive and reliable MWCNT-based biosensors, nanotubes density and alignment were adjusted by varying the CVD reaction time and cobalt sulfate concentration. The fabricated nanotubes were modified by ZnO particles through the potentiostatic electrodeposition technique. Optimal electrodeposition potential, electrodeposition time, and electrolyte concentration values were determined. The optimized ZnO/MWCNT nanocomposite was reinforced by polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers through the potential cycling technique, and the morphology, elemental composition, and phase structure of the fabricated nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The sensing mechanism of the PANI/ZnO/MWCNT electrode for the electrochemical detection of glucose was investigated, and the limit of detection and sensitivity values of the designed sensor were determined. The fast response time of the ternary nanocomposite-based sensor as well as its satisfactory stability and reproducibility, makes it a promising candidate for non-enzymatic detection of glucose in biomedical, environmental, and industrial applications.</p>