NICKEL-PALLADIUM NANOPARTICLES FOR NONENZYMATIC METHANOL DETECTION

Silicon microchannel plates (MCP) modified by nickel-palladium nanoparticles (Ni-Pd/Si-MCP) have highly ordered microchannels with uniform diameters and lengths isolated and parallel to one another and are excellent sensors for the determination of methanol in alkaline solutions. The 3D ordered Si MCP is fabricated by electrochemical etching used as the backbone, and the Ni-Pd nanoparticles are sensitive materials for detecting methanol that was obtained by an electroless plating method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and electrochemical methods were employed to characterize the Ni-Pd/Si-MCP structure. An electrochemical workstation was used to monitor the sensing characteristics of the Ni-Pd/Si-MCP electrode. As a result of the synergetic effects rendered by the MCP and Ni-Pd nanoparticles, these sensors present a high sensitivity of 0.168mA mM(-1), and the detection limits was 12 mu M. In particular, since the fabrication process is compatible with conventional silicon technology, the structure has immense potential as an efficient, nonenzymatic, and integrated methanol sensors.