Synthesis, characterization, and application of silver nanoparticle-thiophenol nanocomposite film on the glassy carbon surface

In this study, 4-thiophenol modified glassy carbon electrode was prepared by the reduction of 4-diazothiophenol tetrafluoroborate salt. Silver nanoparticles were attached to the thiophenol modified surface to prepare a thiophenol-silver nanoparticle composite film. 4-Aminothiopenol molecules were deposited by self-assembling technique to form multi-layered nanofilms of TP/SNP/PhNH2 on glassy carbon substrate. These surfaces were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflectance-absorption infrared spectroscopy, and ellipsometry at each multilayer film growth process. Atomic force microscopic images of GC/TP/SNP/PhNH2 surfaces were also acquired. The characterization methods show that the amine group containing surface permits the subsequent modification by a variety of coupling reactions for the immobilization of more complex systems. An application of the electrode modification for the determination of uric acid with a significantly lower detection limit is described.