Electrochemical Properties of Phosphorus Incorporated Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon Film Electrode

Phosphorus incorporated tetrahedral amorphous carbon(ta-C:P)film was deposited by a filtered cathodic vacuum arc technology with PH_3 as the dopant source.The composition and structural characteristics were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscope and Raman spectroscope,and the electrochemical behaviors of ta-C:P film were examined by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry.Results indicate that phosphorus implantation does not remarkably change the amorphous structure of the film but enhances the clustering of sp~2 sites dispersed in sp~3 skeleton and the evolution of structrual ordering.Ta-C:P film pretreated by acid exhibits a large electrochemical potential window and a low background current in H_2SO_4 solution,a considerable electrochemical activity toward Cl-, quick electrode response and a high signal for Cu~(2+)and Cd~(2+)analysis.These characteristics greatly demonstrate a potential application of conductive ta-C:P film as electrodes for analysis and treatment of trace metal ions in waste water.