Electrochemical Sensing of Thiol Compounds
Summary
Thiol compounds, characterised by a sulphur–hydrogen (–SH) moiety, play essential roles in biological processes, environmental chemistry and food quality. Their strong nucleophilicity and propensity for redox transformations make electrochemical sensing an attractive approach for rapid, sensitive and selective detection. In such sensors, thiols are typically oxidised at a working electrode, producing measurable currents proportional to concentration. Key performance metrics include limit of detection, sensitivity, selectivity against co-existing species and operational stability. Modern designs employ tailored electrode materials—carbon-based substrates, metal nanoparticles or doped nanostructures—to enhance electron transfer, reduce overpotentials and resist surface fouling by oxidation products. Voltammetric techniques, especially cyclic and differential pulse modes, enable detailed characterisation of thiol oxidation mechanisms and quantitative analysis in complex samples. Applications span clinical diagnostics (monitoring glutathione or homocysteine as disease biomarkers), environmental monitoring of thiol-contaminants and quality control in pharmaceutical or food matrices. Despite impressive advances, challenges remain in multiplexed detection of structurally related thiols, long-term electrode stability and translation to point-of-care devices.
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Electrochemical Sensing of Thiol Compounds publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrochemical sensing of thiol compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Thiol compound: An organic molecule containing a sulphur–hydrogen (–SH) group, prone to oxidation and central to redox biology.
Electrochemical sensor: A device that converts chemical information via electrode reactions into an electrical signal, typically current or potential.
Voltammetry: Electroanalytical techniques in which current is measured while the electrode potential is varied, including cyclic and differential pulse modes.
Electrocatalysis: Acceleration of an electrochemical reaction at an electrode surface by a catalyst, often lowering activation energy and overpotential.
Limit of detection (LOD): The lowest concentration of an analyte that can be distinguished from background noise with a specified confidence level.
Fouling: Unwanted accumulation of oxidation products or biological macromolecules on an electrode surface, degrading sensor performance.
Surface modifier: A material, such as nanoparticles or doped carbon nanostructures, applied to an electrode to enhance sensitivity, selectivity or stability.
References
- Nitrogen and Sulfur Co-Doped Graphene as Efficient Electrode Material for L-Cysteine Detection. Chemosensors (2021).
- In Situ Electrochemical Formation of Oxo-Functionalized Graphene on Glassy Carbon Electrode with Chemical Fouling Recovery and Antibiofouling Properties for Electrochemical Sensing of Reduced Glutathione. Antioxidants (2022).
- Recent Advances in Electrochemical Sensors for Sulfur-Containing Antioxidants. Micromachines (2023).
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