Preparation and application of a novel electrochemical sensing material based on surface chemistry of polyhydroquinone

• Polyhydroquinone (PH2Q) was produced by the self-polymerization of hydroquinone (H2Q) mediated by dissolved oxygen.
• PH2Q can achieve surface hydrophilization of a variety of substrates.
• PH2Q is an ideal polymeric modifier for the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs).
• The MWNT–PH2Q composite can be employed for the simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA).

A new analogue of polydopamine (PDA), i.e., polyhydroquinone (PH2Q), was polymerized and its surface chemistry was studied by different ways of characterization. PH2Q was produced by the self-polymerization of H2Q mediated by dissolved oxygen, and the self-polymerization process was strongly dependent on the type and the pH value of the buffer solutions. PH2Q can not only achieve surface hydrophilization of different substrates like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, graphite strip, C12SH/Au and wax slice, but also possess several unique properties like reversible adsorption, good solubility and low cost. These properties made PH2Q an ideal polymeric modifier for the noncovalent functionalization of some nanomaterials. By simply grinding with PH2Q, pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) can be readily dispersed in water with high solubility and good stability. The resulting MWNT–PH2Q composite exhibited excellent electrochemical performance, which was employed for the simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA).

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