CARBON NANOTUBES (CNTS), A NEW MEMBER OF THE CARBON FAMILY, WERE FIRST DISCOVERED BY IIJIMA IN 1991 [1]. Functionalization OF MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBES ARE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTIES OF THEM. TREATMENT OF THEM IN THE PRESENCE OF ACIDIC ENVIRONMENT CAN PRODUCE OXYGENATED SPECIES ON THE END WALL NANOTUBES [2]. ...

IN THIS WORK A NOVEL METHOD IS PRESENTED FOR THE ELECTROCHEMICAL MODIFICATION OF MESOPOROUS SILICA AND PREPARATION OF ORDERED POROUS ELECTRODES. PREPARATION OF AMINE FUNCTIONALIZED THIN FILMS AT THE ELECTRODE SURFACE WAS ACHIEVED BY THE REPORTED METHODS AS ELECTRO ASSISTED SELF ASSEMBLY (EASA) UNDER POTENTIOSTATIC OR GALVANOSTATIC CONDITIONS. EASA WERE APPLIED ON GLASSY CARBON (GC) SUBSTRATES IN THE PRESENCE OF CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE (CTAB) AS STRUCTURE DIRECTING AGENT AND TETRAETHOXYSILANE AS SILICA PRECURSOR. [1] THE POROSITY OF FILM AND ITS MORPHOLOGY HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (TEM). VOLTAMMETRIC BEHAVIOR OF SOME ELECTROACTIVE PROBES SUCH AS POTASSIUM HEXACYANOFERRATE (III), HEXAAMINE RUTHENIUM CHLORIDE AND CATECHOL HAVE BEEN STUDIED AT THE DESIRED MODIFIED ELECTRODE. NEXT ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF A BUFFERIC SOLUTIONS OF CATECHOL HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT ON MODIFIED ELECTRODE WITH AMINE FUNCTIONALIZED SILICA FILM IN ORDER TO FORMATION OF C-N BOND FORMATION BETWEEN CATECHOL AND AMINE GROUPS. [2] THE CATECHOL CONCENTRATION, PH OF SOLUTION, THE ELECTROCHEMICAL TECHNIQUES AND THE TIME OF Functionalization HAVE BEEN OPTIMIZED FOR THE PREPARED FILMS. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT A POROUS AND ELECTROACTIVE ELECTRODE IS OBTAINED BY ELECTROCHEMICAL GENERATION OF REACTIVE O-QUINONE AT THE SURFACE OF ELECTRODE WITH WELL-ORGANIZED AND AMINE FUNCTIONALIZED MESOPOROUS SILICA THIN FILM.FINALLY THE ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF THE PRESENTED ELECTROACTIVE POROUS ELECTRODES HAVE BEEN STUDIED BY CYCLIC AND HYDRODYNAMIC VOLTAMMETRY AND THE LOADING OF AMINOCATECHOLS IN STRUCTURE HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED BY THERMOGRAVIMETRIC AND ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS.

INTRODUCTION: CARBON NANOTUBES (CNTS) DUE TO THEIR UNIQUE ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES HAVE ATTRACTED VAST AMOUNT OF ATTENTION IN MANY AREAS [1, 2]. HOWEVER, THE HYDROPHOBIC AND INERT NATURE OF AS-PREPARED NANOTUBES IS UNFAVORABLE FOR THESE APPLICATIONS. …