Enhanced ion conductivity detection utilizing superhydrophilic cauliflower-like Pt black electrodes prepared via ultrasonic electrodeposition
摘要
Most traditional electrode-based conductivity sensors are made from dense, non-porous, pure platinum material, which tends to accumulate bubbles and contaminants on the surface during testing, limiting the sensitivity and stability of the sensors and posing a challenge to the precise detection of marine ions in applications. Pt black is one of the key materials utilized to enhance the interaction between electrodes and tissues due to its excellent electrochemical stabilization properties. However, its practical application is still limited by the properties of the material itself and the lack of suitable material modification techniques. Inspired by the high stability and sensitivity of Pt-black modifications in neural microelectrodes for brain research, this study developed a combined ultrasound and pulse plating technique to deposit a cauliflower-like platinum black (CF-Pt-black) layer on a bare platinum substrate. Compared with bare Pt, the prepared Pt black exhibits significant advantages: superhydrophilicity (contact angle of 34.52°), a 0.7-times reduction in impedance, a 3.54-times increase in charge storage capacity, and excellent mechanical and electrochemical stability. When utilized in marine conductivity sensors, Pt black-modified electrodes improve the sensor accuracy from 0.0025 to 0.0012 mS/cm and reduce the response time by 160 s. These properties make Pt black an excellent candidate for high-precision ion detection, biosensing, and neural recording.