Cheap and disposable gold and silver electrodes: Trends in the application of compact discs and digital versatile discs for electroanalytical chemistry

Increasingly more reports have focused on the use of digital versatile discs (DVDs) and compact discs (CDs) for the fabrication of electrodes. The majority of discs use Al to reflect the laser. However, a notable percentage utilise Au or Ag. This layer can be mechanically or chemically exposed allowing for the economic fabrication of otherwise expensive Ag and Au electrodes. Cleaning steps are not required due to the layer's mirror like surface. Mass production of these discs means they are available, reproducible and disposable. Modifications can be made by laser, inkjet printing, etching or xurography. Self-assembled monolayers and the attachment of functional groups can also be made. This review (97 references and 6 figures) is divided into four sections. The first describes the development of these electrodes and their fabrication and modification. The next three sections focused on applications for the determination of metal ions, biomedical and environmental analysis.