Carbon Fiber Electrodes
Carbon fiber microelectrodes have been used in both the detection of oxidizable compounds (Gonon, et al., 1978; Cahill and Wightman, 1995) and extracellular single-unit recording (Armstrong-James and Millar, 1979). WPI’s ultra-sensitive and low-noise carbon fiber (CF) electrodes can be applied, with our Micro-C Potentiostat or similar instruments, in the electrochemical detection of catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine), indolamines (serotonin, 5-HT or melatonin), ascorbic acid, Fe (II), and other oxidizable compounds.
Electrochemical detection of oxidizable compounds
Features
- Sensitive, renewable/durable and economical carbon fiber electrodes for electrochemical detection of oxidizable compounds
- Excellent linearity to the oxidizable compounds
Benefits
- Precision tip size and length of the CF electrodes
- Renewable
Applications
- Detection of neurotransmitters and oxidizable compounds in vivo or in vitro
CF electrodes (diameter of 10 or 30 µm) respond with an excellent linearity to the oxidizable compounds (see figure below) and can detect the compounds as low as 0.2 nM. While the shorter (25-100 µm) CF electrodes are suitable for in vivo amperometric and voltammetric measurements, the longer CF electrodes provide higher sensitivity and are especially useful for the in vitro studies (amperometric or differential pulse voltammetry). When used with the Micro-C Potentiostat, these CF electrodes can be activated and renewed in sensitivity for multiple use. The selective detection of catecholamines can be achieved with our Nafion-coated CF electrodes. For selective detection of 5-HT and ascorbic acid, please contact WPI for more information.
Excellent linearity in the response of carbon fiber electrode (CF30-500) to dopamine recorded on Micro-C. Courtesy: Drs. D. Yeomans and X.-T. Wang, University of Illinois at Chicago.
Extracellular recording using a carbon electrode in CA1 region of the hippocampus in an anesthetized rat shows ultra-low noise (<5 µV). Courtesy: Dr. Carolyn Harley of Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada.