Antibiofouling strategy for optical sensors by chlorine generation using low-cost, transparent and highly efficient electrodes based on platinum nanoparticles coated oxide

Abstract

The concept of high electrocatalytic activity for chlorine generation has been pioneered through the develop-ment of a new system to prevent biofouling onto marine optical sensors surfaces. A combination of impregnatedplatinum (Pt) nanoparticles into the surface offluorine tin oxide (FTO) was developed to create high opticaltransparent electrodes in glass substrates, with high catalytic properties, high durability, high stability and costeffectiveness, capable of generating sufficient biocide concentration (chlorine) with low electrical current. Whilechlorine generation, based on conventional electrodes with noble metal oxides, have been widely used forbiofouling prevention, their difficulty of integration and their opacity makes them inappropriate for opticalsensors protection. In the other hand, state-of-the-art FTO and ITO transparentfilms suffer from poor stabilityand durability in chlorine generation. This study highlights the effectiveness of creating simultaneous highoptical transparent and high electrical conductivity electrodes, suitable for long-term electrochlorination andthus long-term monitoring in marine optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, their fabrication relies in an easy andlow-cost process. The combination of specific Pt concentrations with FTO has been successfully proven forantifouling effect under seawater, exhibiting low consumption (100–350 μW/cm2), high catalytic activity withhigh binding stability of Pt nanoparticles against seawater properties. This new approach accelerates the searchfor high-performance antibiofouling strategies for marine optical sensors