A Comparison of Explicitly-terminated Diamond Electrodes Decorated with Gold Nanoparticles

This work compares electrodeposited and drop-cast (DC) AuNPs on oxygen and hydrogen terminated boron-doped diamond (BDDO and BDDH). The samples were characterized using a range of electrochemical and physical surface methods and investigated as mercury sensors. Overall, AuNPs deposited by either method were found to be more electrochemically active on BDDH than BDDO, although more DC-AuNPs were adsorbed onto BDDO than BDDH. The mercury sensing experiments, carried out using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) showed that lower Hg concentrations were detected with AuNPs/BDDH than AuNPs/BDDO regardless of deposition method, thus demonstrating a benefit of using BDDH for electroanalysis.