Date of Award:

5-2008

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Department name when degree awarded

Biological and Irrigational Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Anhong Zhou

Committee

Anhong Zhou

Committee

James W. Burns

Committee

Ronald Sims

Abstract

This thesis reports the design and fabrication of a low-cost reliable microelectrode array sensing platform and its application toward water quality monitoring, including heavy metal ion detection. Individually addressable microelectrodes were designed in a planar array on a nonconductive glass substrate by a photolithography method. The size, shape, composition, and functionality of the microelectrodes were theoretically explored in order to maximize performance.

The microelectrode array sensing platform was proven and characterized in the K3Fe(CN)6 electrochemical standard using cyclic voltammetry. The sensor platform exhibited well defined voltammograms and had increased sensitivity relative to a commercially available microelectrode of similar size. Feasibility for application to heavy metal ions, copper and lead, detection in aqueous solutions was demonstrated utilizing the electrochemical method of anodic stripping voltammetry. Well defined voltammograms for the copper and lead ions were obtained with individual microelectrodes of the sensor platform, and compared against the similar sized commercially available microelectrode; increased sensitivity was observed.

Finally, a piecewise proving technique was done to prove the feasibility for future coupling of the microelectrode array sensor platform with a previously developed homemade electrochemical device. By analyzing the response of the homemade electrochemical device compared to that of a commercially available electrochemical analyzer, feasibility was demonstrated.

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26f3e433ef65ed4f2534cdbe53cdb320

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