Sol-Gel-Derived Ceramic-Carbon Composite Electrodes: Introduction and Scope of Applications

A new class of composite electrodes made of sol-gel derived carbon-silica materials is introduced. Modifed porous composite carbon-silica electrodes can exhibit hydrophobic or hydrophilic surface characteristics and can serve as an indicator (inert) electrode, as a potentiometric (selective or reference) electrode, and in amperometric sensing and biosensing. The composite (carbon) ceramic electrodes (CCP) are rigid, porous, easily modified chemically and have a renewable external surface. The electrodes otter higher stability than carbon paste electrodes, and they are moreamenable to chemical modification than monolithic and (organic) composite carbon electrodes