Effects of the carbon nanotube length on its chemically modified electrode electrochemical performances

AbstractCarbon nanotube (CNT) was considered as a good modified material to prepare CNT chemically modified electrode (CNT-CME) for the CNT novel physical and chemical properties. Many CNT-CMEs were prepared by different methods. But all the CNT-CME preparation process was two steps: firstly, growing CNT; then, fixing the CNT on the surface of electrode. Some additives were brought into during the CNT-CME preparation, which could affect the CNT-CME electrochemical performances. So the authors brought out grown in situ CNT-CME (GSCNT-CME) via growing CNT in situ. And the obtained GSCNT-CME had excellent electrochemical performances. In this paper, the authors prepared a series of GSCNT-CMEs with different CNT lengths and found the CNT length had great effect on the GSCNT-CME electrochemical performance. The morphology of the obtained GSCNT-CME was characterized by the scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical performances of the GSCNT-CME were characterized by the cyclic voltammetry. The GSCNT-CMEs were used as the working electrodes. The [Fe(CN)6]3-/[Fe(CN)6]4- was used as the substrate solution. The results showed that there were direct relationship between the CNT length and the GSCNT-CME electrochemical performances, and finally got excellent performance modified electrodes