Platinum nanoelectrodes embedded in an insulating alumina matrix: an innovative approach

A procedure for the preparation of platinum nanoelectrodes in an insulating alumina matrix, using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), is described. The electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry in aqueous solutions containing Ru(NH3)6Cl3. The size distribution and crystallinity of the nanoparticles were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that the MOCVD methodology is adequate for the preparation of ensembles of nanoelectrodes with either overlap or no overlap of the diffusion layers of each nanoelectrodes, depending on the amount of Pt loading in Pt/Al2O3 nanocomposite.