Nanoelectrode ensembles and arrays

As an assembled nanostructure, nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) or arrays (NEAs) present many advantages such as enhanced mass transport, lower double layer charging current, short time constant, lower electrolyte voltage drop, higher ratio of signal to noise, as well as good maneuverability, with high sensitivity and reliability in electroanalysis. Therefore, they have found broad applications in a variety fields including the study of electrochemical theory, biosensor, electrocatalysis and electrode materials in high energy chemical batteries. So far, researchers have tried various methods to made many NEEs (NEAs) with different materials and shapes, such as disk, cylindrical, conic, interdigitated and recessed well NEEs (NEAs). The developed ingenious fabrication methods might be systematically classified as template synthesis, etching and self-assembly. NEEs (NEAs) are characterized by electron microscopy and electrochemistry method. In this paper, the fabrication methods, characterization techniques and applications of NEEs (NEAs) are reviewed according to some of our work and the reported literatures so far. The main problems and trends in the development and study of NEEs (NEAs) are discussed and prospected.