FTO – an Electrode Material for the Stable Electrochemical Determination of Dopamine

Abstract Dopamine and other catecholamines play a keyrole for the interaction of numerous processes in the neuronal network. Hence, numerous detection methods have been developed. Electrochemical sensor developments for catecholamines are characterized mostly by complex modification strategies in order to avoid a disturbance of the sensor signal by interfering substances. Here the application of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) as electrode material for dopamine detection is reported avoiding the necessity of expensive modifications and stability problems. This FTO based electrode allows the discrimination between dopamine and its precursor as well as its methylated degradation product and is not disturbed by typical interfering compounds (ascorbic acid, uric acid) and is characterized by high linearity and stability of the sensor signal for repeated measurements.