Electrochemical sensors for water quality monitoring

Abstract

This project aims at the development of electrochemical sensors and microfluidic systems for the continuous monitoring of the concentration of chemical species in natural waters. Based on the chemical composition of the water sample and using statistical tools such PCA, information on water quality can be obtained. Particular interest will be directed to the fabrication of devices of microscopic dimensions and with short response times for the determination of nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonium and dissolved oxygen. The modification of the electrode surface will be important to give special properties to the developed sensors and this will be achieved by using specific materials capable of catalyzing the electron transfer reactions of the investigated analytes to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the proposed methods. The efficiency of these devices can be enhanced by understanding the response mechanisms in detail. Therefore, aspects associated with the composition and structure of the film modifiers and the dynamics of the electrode processes will be investigated using several electrochemical and spectroscopic tools. (AU)