Dendrimer modified thiolated gold surfaces as sensor devices for halogenated alkyl-carboxylic acids in aqueous medium.: A promising new type of surfaces for electroanalytical applications

Thiolated gold electrodes bearing either carboxylic or amino terminal groups were exposed to dilute PAMAM dendrimer aqueous solutions in which the ramified polymers have the complementary opposite charge. The novel interfaces that result from dendrimer electrostatic aggregation, were then probed as electrochemical sensors for three halogenated carboxylic acid compounds in aqueous solution. The results show an increased sensitivity for the electrochemical detection of the three acids using the modified surfaces as compared to bare gold electrodes. The use of this type of novel interfacial architecture, is presented as a potentially new and important approach for the development of electroanalytical sensors for the detection of organic contaminants in water.