Investigations of Ultra-High Surface Area Carbon Fibers

该项目由堪萨斯大学的Theodore Kuwana教授和Merrimack学院的Richard Kelly教授共同努力，由分析和表面化学资助，是超高表面积碳纤维电化学基础研究的继续，并将这些纤维用作开发基于脱氢酶的传感器的平台。感兴趣的纤维是那些通过断裂过程形成的纤维，断裂过程增加了纤维尖端的表面积和相关电容。在以这些断裂的纤维为电极的循环伏安实验中观察到的电化学特性也发生了显著的变化。碳纤维的断裂是通过电学完成的，并研究了获得可重复断裂表面的条件。用表面衍生化和物种吸附、扫描电子显微镜和原子力显微镜对断口进行了表征。将可重复断裂的碳纤维作为多酶传感器的载体，用于L-苯丙氨酸的分析。L苯丙氨酸水平是苯丙酮尿症的重要早期指标。该项目是由堪萨斯大学和梅里马克学院的本科生研究人员共同努力完成的。末端断裂干净的小碳纤维具有特殊的性质，使其非常适用于小型生物传感器的支撑物。该项目是堪萨斯大学的Kuwana教授和Merrimack学院的Kelly教授的联合本科研究项目，研究如何以可重复的方式完成断裂过程，以及如何基于断裂的纤维构建酶传感器。该光纤传感器通过监测L苯丙氨酸水平，用于苯丙酮尿症的早期检测。

This project, a joint effort of Professor Theodore Kuwana at the University of Kansas and Professor Richard Kelly at Merrimack College and funded by Analytical and Surface Chemistry, is a continuation of fundamental studies on the electrochemistry of ultra-high surface area carbon fibers, and the use of these fibers as platforms on which dehydrogenase-based sensors can be developed. The fibers of interest are those that are formed by a process of fracture, which increases the surface area and the associated capacitance of the fiber tip. The electrochemical characteristics observed in a cyclic voltammetry experiment using these fractured fibers as electrodes also changes significantly. Fracture of the carbon fibers is accomplished electrically, and the conditions under which reproducible fracture surfaces can be attained are investigated. The fracture surfaces are characterized with surface derivatization and species adsorption, and with scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The reproducibly fractured carbon fibers are used as the supports for a multienzyme sensor used for the analysis of L-phenylalanine. Levels of L phenylalanine are an important early indicator of phenylketonuria. The project is carried out by collaborative efforts of undergraduate researchers at the University of Kansas and at Merrimack College. Small carbon fibers that are cleanly fractured at their ends have special properties that make them very useful as supports for small biosensors. This project, a joint undergraduate research project between Professor Kuwana at the University of Kansas and Professor Kelly at Merrimack College, studies how to accomplish the fracture process in a reproducible fashion, and how to build an enzymesensor based on the fractured fiber. The fiber sensor is used in the early detection of phenylketonuria by monitoring levels of L-phenylalanine.