Screen‐printed gold thick films for electrochemical sensor applications

Abstract

Abstract Screen‐printed gold electrodes have been assembled in Low Temperature Co‐fired Ceramics technology and characterised and tested for applications in electrochemical analytics. They were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and by cyclovoltammetry in sulphuric acid and of typical redox couples such as hexacyanoferrate and quinhydrone. The electrodes differ in surface morphology, microstructure with the formation of preferential crystal orientation and exhibit different real surface sizes depending on the chosen gold paste. After pre‐treatment in sulphuric acid an almost reversible behaviour can be achieved however differences between the thick films occur at high scan rates and especially with quinhydrone. Differences in the sensitivity of the thick films at low analyte concentration can be explained by their surface properties.