Andrew O. Simm

Boron-doped diamond microdisc arrays: electrochemical characterisation and their use as a substrate for the production of microelectrode arrays of diverse metals (Ag, Au, Cu)via electrodeposition

A novel boron-doped diamond (BDD) microelectrode array is characterised with electrochemical and atomic force microscopic techniques. The array consists of 40 micron-diameter sized BDD discs which are separated by 250 microns from their nearest neighbour in a hexagonal arrangement. The conducting discs can be electroplated to produce arrays of copper, silver or gold for analytical purposes in addition to operating as an array of BDD-microelectrodes. Proof-of-concept is shown for four separate examples; a gold plated array for arsenic detection, a copper plated array for nitrate analysis, a silver plated array for hydrogen peroxide monitoring and last, cathodic stripping voltammetry for lead at the bare BDD-array.

Cysteine methyl ester modified glassy carbon spheres for removal of toxic heavy metals from aqueous media

Glassy carbon spherical powder (10-20 microm diameter) modified with cysteine methyl ester is found to be an inexpensive, novel material for the rapid removal of large quantities of toxic heavy metal ions such as Cd(II), Cu(II) and As(III) from aqueous media, with wide ranging potential applications such as third world drinking water filtration or environmental cleanup.

Diffusional protection of electrode surfaces using regular arrays of immobilised droplets: overcoming interferences in electroanalysis

Regular arrays of ca. micron sized droplets on a gold electrode surface can block diffusion to the electrode surface of one metal ion (which binds with the material in the droplet) whilst having no significant effect on another (which does not), so allowing interference effects in electroanalysis to be eliminated.