Iwuoha, EmmanuelBaker, Priscilla G.L.Songa, Everlyne ApiyoDept. of ChemistryFaculty of Science2014-02-062024-05-132010/05/122010/05/122014-02-062024-05-132008https://hdl.handle.net/10566/14779Philosophiae Doctor - PhDIn this thesis, I present a simple, sensitive and low cost electrochemical nanobiosensor for quantitative determination of the herbicides glufosinate, glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). Firstly, the nanostructured poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) materials were synthesized on gold electrode by the electrochemical "template"method using poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid) (PSS) as the dopant and structure-directing molecule. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies inferred successful doping of the nanostructured PDMA film by PSS and that the template PSS directed the synthesis of both nanotubes and nanoparticles of PDMA with diameters less than 100 nm.enPoly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline)Poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid)Nanostructured polymersHorseradish peroxidaseElectrochemical nanobiosensorGlufosinateGlyphosateHerbicidesAminomethylphosphonic acidInhibitionThesisUniversity of the Western Cape