Study of amperometric sensors for the determination of nitrite and ammonia in drinking water

The research activity of this PhD thesis was focused on the assembling of amperometric sensors to detect important chemical pollutants in drinking waters, such as ammonia and nitrites. Selected monomers were used to modify electrodes by synthetizing polymer films (via electrochemical polymerization), nanotubule nets (using a “template synthesis” approach) and nanowires (via chemical oxidation). These polymers were morphologically investigated to evaluate their characteristics suitable to assemble sensors. These last were then analitically characterized in terms of detection limit, sensitivity, reproducibility and stability. Real samples of drinking and mineral waters were analyzed and recovery studies were carried out. The first chapters of this thesis describe the main characteristics of chemically modified electrodes and polymers, including the electrochemical techniques used. The experimental section is divided in two different chapters describing the sensors developed for the detection of nitrites and ammonia, respectively.