Carbon Nanotubes, Nanofibers and Nanospikes for Electrochemical Sensing: A Review

The structural and material properties of carbon based sensors have spurred their use in biosensing applications. Carbon electrodes are advantageous for electrochemical sensors due to their increased electroactive surface areas, enhanced electron transfer, and increased adsorption of target molecules. The bonding properties of carbon allows it to form a variety of crystal structures. This paper performs a comparative review of carbon nanostructures for electrochemical sensing applications. The review specifically compares carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon nanofibers (CNF), and carbon nanospikes (CNS). These carbon nanostructures possess defect sites and oxygen functional groups that aid in electron transfer and adsorption processes.