abstract
- Among various types of materials that can be designed and developed for biomedical applications, conductive materials compose an interesting class of platforms that can find various applications within the discipline. From electrochemical biosensors to batteries, super-capacitors, and power sources, such materials play a significant role in our lives. This chapter is dedicated to expanding knowledge on the electrochemical characterization of conductive materials. Such characterization involves electrochemical interactions among the analyte present in a solution (electrolyte) and the surface of the electrode. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are some of the most common techniques for characterizing electrodes that can be used in biosensors. The electrochemically active materials show high sensitivity to changes occurring at the solution/electrode interface due to the presence of an analyte (target biomolecule). This feature can be leveraged to produce a wide range of electrochemical sensors and biosensors. The chapter also reviews the history, the mechanism of operation, advantages, and disadvantages of such characterization techniques, as well as their applications. The chapter also includes a troubleshooting section reporting the most common errors presented during sample characterization by electrochemical techniques in addition to possible causes and solutions.