Microwave-assisted functionalization of glassy carbon spheres: electrochemical and mechanistic studies

Functionalization of glassy carbon spheres have been carried out by microwave irradiation in the presence of modifier molecules through oxidation followed by amidation reaction. The glassy carbon spheres were initially catalyzed by treating with concentrated nitric acid to introduce surface-bound carboxylic groups, and its subsequent amidation reaction in the presence of p-nitroaniline yields p-nitroanilide-functionalized substrate materials. These derivatized glassy carbon spheres have been electrochemically characterized by immobilizing them on bppg electrode and studying its voltammetric behavior. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies have revealed that the modifying molecules are surface bound and covalently attached on the carbon substrate.