Evaluation of parameters affecting electrocatalytic activity in nicotine sensor

Nicotine can be measured electrochemically using Cu nanoparticles and CNT-modified glassy carbon electrode. The slow electrochemical oxidation makes it difficult to measure the concentration of nicotine electrochemically using normal electrodes.To improve the oxidation rate, different mediators and chemically modified electrodes have been used. In this experiment, concentration of nicotine in aqueous solution was determined using MWCNT-modified glassy carbon electrode in presence of copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) as mediator. For this purpose, the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with suspended MWCNT in dimethylformamaide and Cu NPs was electrochemically deposited on MWCNT-GCE subsequently. Also, experimental parameters affecting the deposition of Cu NPs on MWCNT-GCE such as cycles, copper salt concentration and scan rate were found to be optimum at 20 cycles, 1.75 μmol L-1 and 100 mVs-1 respectively. Finally, the modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and successfully used to measure the concentration of nicotine in aqueous solution.