Electrocatalytic detection of ethanol and acetaldehyde by aminoxyl radicals: utilizing molecular catalysis for breath analysis.

Herein, the insights gleaned from mechanistic studies of aminoxyl catalyzed oxidation of alcohols and aldehydes were used for fabrication of a gas phase sensor for ethanol and acetaldehyde. This electrochemical sensor consists of an aminoxyl radical and graphene oxide so that its response and selectivity can be altered by tuning the basicity of the graphene oxide.