Ethanol sensors by using RuO2-modified Ni electrode

A novel ethanol sensor based on RuO2-modified Ni as working electrode in alkaline solution was developed. The sensing results were affected by the RuCl3 concentration, thermal decomposition numbers and ultrasonic irradiation for preparing the working electrode. The results showed that the ethanol oxidation was more efficient at the RuO2-Ni electrode than at bare nickel electrode. The optimal operating conditions of the RuO2-modified Ni electrode were 2 M Ru3+, six times of repeat thermal decomposition numbers and 150 W of ultrasonic irradiation. The results also indicated that response time of the prepared ethanol sensor is 13 s and the best sensitivity is 4.92 muA ppm(-1) cm(-2). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.