Recyclable and High-Sensitivity Electrochemical Biosensing Platform Composed of Carbon-Doped TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

Electrode fouling and passivation are the main reasons for attenuated signals as well as reduced sensitivity and selectivity over time in electrochemical analysis. We report here a refreshable electrode composed of carbon-doped TiO2 nanotube arrays (C-doped TiO2-NTAs), which not only has excellent electrochemical activity for simultaneous determination of 5-hydroxytryptamine and ascorbic acid but also can be easily photocatalytically refreshed to maintain the high selectivity and sensitivity. The C-doped TiO2-NTAs are fabricated by rapid annealing of as-anodized TiO2-NTAs in argon. The residual ethylene glycol absorbed on the nanotube wall acts as the carbon source and no foreign carbon precursor is thus needed. The morphology, structure, and composition the C-doped TiO2-NTAs are determined, and the corresponding doping mechanism is investigated by thermal analysis and in situ mass spectroscopy. Because of the high photocatalytic activity of the C-doped TiO2-NTAs electrode, the electrode surface can be readily regenerated by ultraviolet or visible light irradiation. This photoassisted regenerating technique does not damage the electrode microstructure while rendering high reproducibility and stability.