Electrocatalytic Interface Based on Novel Carbon Nanomaterials for Advanced Electrochemical Sensors

Abstract

The rapid development of nanoscience and nanotechnology provides new opportunities for the sustainable progress of nanoscale catalysts (i.e., nanocatalysts). The introduction of nanocatalysts into electronic devices implants their novel functions into electronic sensing systems, resulting in the testing of many advanced electrochemical sensors and the fabrication of some highly sensitive, selective, and stable sensing platforms. In this Review, we will summarize recent significant progress on exploring advanced carbon nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, highly ordered mesoporous carbons, and electron cyclotron resonance sputtered nanocarbon film) as nanoscale electrocatalysts (i.e., nanoelectrocatalysts) for constructing the catalytic nanointerfaces of electronic devices to achieve high‐sensitivity and high‐selectivity electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, different mechanisms for the extraordinary and unique electrocatalytic activities of these carbon nanomaterials will be also highlighted, compared and discussed. An outlook on the future trends and developments in this area will be provided at the end. Notably, to elaborate the nature of carbon nanomaterial, we will mainly focus on the electrocatalysis of single kind of carbon materials rather than their hybrid composite materials. We expect that advanced carbon nanomaterials with unique electrocatalytic activities will continue to attract increasing research interest and lead to new opportunities in various fields of research.

Structural Design and Electronic Modulation of Transition‐Metal‐Carbide Electrocatalysts toward Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

“…Owing to the high charge mobility, anisotropic (1D or 2D) electron transportation, large specific surface, and good stability, CNTs and GRs are promising supports in electrochemistry . More importantly, they are reactive carbon source for generating nanosized TMCs …”

High-Utilisation Nanoplatinum Catalyst (Pt@cPIM) Obtained via Vacuum Carbonisation in a Molecularly Rigid Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity

“…The preparation and formulation of catalysts for applications in fuel cells [1] and in sensors [2] remain a highly active research topic. For example, the development of new types of porous substrate materials [3] offer catalysts with (i) better levels of performance [4,5], (ii) improved access into a wide range of reproducible and highly efficient catalyst composites [6] and/or (iii) access to more sustainable catalyst systems [7].…”

Enzyme- and metal-free electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive superoxide anion detection based on nitrogen doped hollow mesoporous carbon spheres

“…Moreover, the presence of mesoporous channels on the carbon shells of HMCS is beneficial for the mass transport and/or charge transfer between sensors and analytes [22]. Mesoporous carbon materials also have a high density of edge-plane-like defective sites which can promote the electron transfer to analytes and thereby enhance electrochemical activity at the electrodes [23,24]. Nevertheless, using HMCS for electrochemical applications has received little attention [25].…”