Catecholamines are a class of neurotransmitters (1, 2-dihydroxybenzenes) secreted in the brain and their detection in the human body has been of great interest to neuroscientist. Altered levels of catechol and catecholamines are associated with mental and behavioral disorders. Catecholamines undergo oxidation within the usable potential range for aqueous electrochemistry and they can be detected by applications of electrodes modified with conducting polymers. These types of novel electrodes have shown many advantages over the conventional electrodes.

We will present the studies of optimization of preparation of poly(2,2'-bithiophene) modified electrode and their application in the detection of various neurotransmitters in the presence of common interferents such as: ascorbic acid, uric acid and acetaminophen. The stability and reproducibility of the polymer were studied by comparison of cyclic voltammograms of poly(2,2'-bithiophene) deposited on conventional size Pt and GC electrodes at various potentials ranging from 1.3 - 1.8V. The sensor selectivity will be demonstrated by showcasing the ability of the polymer to detect catechol, dopamine and various neurotransmitters in the presence of common interferents such as: ascorbic acid, uric acid or acetaminophen that are of industrial and medicinal interest. The results of studies in concert with structural IR and SEM morphological studies suggest that poly(2,2'-bithiophene) obtained at 1.8V show most efficient catalytic behavior towards redox of catechol in presence of interferents.

The comparison of performances of poly(2,2'-bithiophene) and polythiophene derivatives based sensors for detection of catechol in the presence of various biological molecules of medicinal and industrial interest will be also demonstrated.