Practical Implementation of Nano-Electrochemistry

Many papers have been published on the use of nanoelectrodes fabricated by a wide range of techniques.  However these electrodes have not been available to the wider electrochemical community (who do not necessarily have access to sophisticated fabrication facilities) until recently.  As a result there are a number of preconceptions about the use and utility of nanoelectrodes.  In our laboratory we have extensive experience of the practical use of nanoband electrodes over a significant period of time and much of what we observe is at odds with the ‘received wisdom’ regarding their practical value.  In this paper we describe the nanoband structures we are using and discuss their performance in terms of repeatability, reproducibility, durability and longevity.  We believe these observations have a material bearing on the future scope and practicality of such electrodes and provide examples which are germane to biosensing and environmental analysis.