A novel microelectrode array combining screen-printing and femtosecond laser ablation technologies: Development, characterization and application to cadmium detection

The elaboration of a new kind of microelectrode array based on femtosecond laser ablation and screen-printing process was reported. The electrochemical behavior of this sensor, constituted by a square array of 8 x 8 screen-printed carbon-based microelectrodes, was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and compared with macroelectrodes. With an interelectrode distance-to-electrode diameter ratio of 21, this screen-printed microelectrode array (SP mu EA) has shown a superior diffusion behavior and a greater mass-transport. The analytical performances of this mercury modified SP mu EA were evaluated for cadmium detection. Promising results were obtained with synthetic cadmium solutions in acetate buffer by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) technique with a detection limit of 1.3 mu g L-1 and were confirmed with application to a river sample. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.