Enhanced Sensitivity for Electrochemical Detection Using Screen-Printed Diamond Electrodes via the Random Microelectrode Array Effect

The electrochemical properties of screen-printed diamond electrodes with various insulating polyester (PES) resin binder/boron-doped diamond powder (BDDP) ratios were investigated for high sensitivity electrochemical detection. For PES/BDDP weight ratios in the range of 0.3–0.5, the BDDP-printed electrodes exhibited cyclic voltammetry (CV) characteristics for Fe(CN)63–/4– that are typical of a planar electrode, whereas microelectrode-like characteristics with sigmoidal CV curves were observed for PES/BDDP ratios of 1.0–2.0. Cu elemental mapping images of copper-electrodeposited BDDP-printed electrodes indicated the formation of island structures with conductive BDDP domains surrounded by an insulating PES matrix for large PES/BDDP ratios. The electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid (AA) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was also investigated using polycrystalline BDD thin-film and BDDP-printed electrodes (PES/BDDP ratio = 0.3 and 1.0). As a result, the signal-to-background (S/B) ratios for the voltammetric detection of AA and 8-OHdG were in the order BDDP-printed electrode (PES/BDDP = 1.0) > BDDP-printed electrode (PES/BDDP = 0.3) > polycrystalline BDD thin film electrode, based on the large faradaic current with respect to the background current. Therefore, the BDDP-printed electrode with a large insulating binder/BDDP ratio has the potential for use as a disposable electrode for electrochemical detection. The electrode is cheaper, lighter and more sensitive than conventional BDD electrodes.