Permselectivity of neurotransmitters at overoxidized polypyrrole-film-coated glassy carbon electrodes

The permselectivity of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine at overoxidized polypyrrole (OPPY)-film-coated glassy carbon electrodes has been investigated. The chemically-modified electrodes exhibit attractive permselectivity and antifouling properties of rejecting anionic species, e.g. ascorbate, etc. Compared with the response of neurotransmitters at modified electrodes overoxidized in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4), higher sensitivity and reversibility response can be obtained at modified electrodes overoxidized in sodium hydroxide solution. The effect of film thickness on the permselective response was tested. Rotating disk electrode experiments were used to determine the apparent diffusion coefficients of several electroactive solutes in the OPPY films. The influence of the hydrophobicity of the organic ions on the permeability within the polymer films was discussed. Dopamine and epinephrine were determined at the 1 x 10(-6)-1 x 10(-4) M level by means of voltammetry after an exposure period of 2 min in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) with detection limits of 8 x 10(-7) M and 6 x 10(-7) M respectively.