A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Controlled Debundling of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) by Au@Pt Nanorods Enables Mechanism-Dependent Electrochemical Sensing and Biofouling Response; 
Authors: Mostafiz, Bahar; Rosqvist, Emil; Mäkilä, Ermei; Sharma, Vipul; Peltola, Emilia
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Analytical Chemistry
Volume: 98
Issue: 29
First page : 21292
Last page: 21308
ISSN: 0003-2700
eISSN: 1520-6882
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6c00924
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6c00924
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/526975638
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) form intrinsically bundled networks due to strong intertube interactions, yet conventional debundling approaches can disrupt or chemically alter the nanotube structure. Here, Au@Pt nanorods (NRs) were progressively incorporated into SWCNT films as a nondestructive strategy to deliberately debundle the network while preserving the carbon framework and introducing Pt-rich catalytic sites. This approach was used to examine how network restructuring and metal decoration govern biofouling and electrochemical sensing. Increasing NR loading reorganized the SWCNT network into thinner strands, changed conductive pathways, and increased accessible surface features and hydrophilicity. These changes yielded analyte-dependent electrochemical responses: dopamine (DA) oxidation became more adsorption-controlled after debundling, with enhanced faradaic and capacitive currents attributed to improved interfacial accumulation at carbon-rich surfaces, whereas hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation was dominated by Pt-mediated catalysis and increased with NR loading due to higher catalytic site density. Biofouling studies with bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed that high NR contents promoted protein adsorption and suppressed electrochemical activity. Interestingly, DA oxidation was least affected on pristine SWCNT electrodes, whereas H2O2 detection benefited from intermediate NR decoration, indicating that biofouling can be mitigated by tailoring the platform to the target analyte to maintain performance after protein exposure, rather than relying on antifouling surfaces.
Downloadable publication This is an electronic reprint of the original article. |
Funding information in the publication:
This project received funding from the Research Council of Finland under grant numbers 321996 and 352899. B.M. acknowledges funding from UTUGS. E.R. acknowledges funding from the Research Council of Finland under grant
number 370788.