Carbon surfaces for electroanalytical applications: A comparative study

Boron-doped diamond (BDD), glassy carbon (GC), and pyrolytic graphite (PG) are distinct carbon surfaces that are widely used for electrochemical applications. The significant differences, either in morphological or electrical properties of such surfaces, result in charge-transfer processes with totally distinct characteristics. In aqueous electrolyte, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that the BDD electrode presents lower capacitive currents and lower electron transfer resistance over the potential range studied compared with PG or GC. In this way, the BDD electrode is the best choice for several electroanalytical studies, as demonstrated by the electrochemical oxidation of 4-nitrophenol in 0.1 mol L-1 BR buffer electrolyte (pH 6.0).