Open-circuit Electrochemical Polymerization for the Sensitive Detection of Phenols

We report on a novel electrochemical method for electro-polymerizing phenols under open-circuit conditions. The method developed here is simple, sensitive, rapid, and overcomes the well-documented surface fouling of carbon electrodes by phenols. A pre-charged disposable graphite pencil electrode (pCGPE) was found to be useful for both phenol sampling and sensing. The pCGPE was prepared by charging the surface of a graphite pencil electrode by applying a cyclic voltammetry electrochemical treatment in a NaOH solution. Phenol sampling was accomplished by immersing the pCGPE into a phenol solution. This method permitted phenol detection with a detection limit of 4.17 nM (0.39 ppt).