Simulation of redox-cycling phenomena at interdigitated array (IDA) electrodes : amplification and selectivity

We present Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations of interdigitated array (IDA) electrode geometries to study and verify redox selectivity and redox cycling amplification factor. The simulations provide an adequate explanation of an earlier found, but poorly understood, high amplification factor (65×) in a 1 m-spaced IDA microdevice. Moreover, using the FEM calculations we present selectivity measurements with IDA electrodes in a mixture of two redox species, as for example dopamine and ferricyanide. We show that it is possible to electrochemically detect dopamine in presence of the stronger reductor ferricyanide, which is impossible with direct amperometric detection, with the use of IDA electrodes with proper polarization potential of the collector electrode. Using our simulations, we show that a theoretical selectivity of dopamine over ferricyanide of 11 can be achieved.