Special features of the electrochemistry of undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) thin films

Amorphous carbon-based electrodes are very promising for electrochemical sensing applications, especially in biological environments. However, there are several specific properties related to the sp3 to sp2 bonded carbon ratio and the spatial distribution of sp2 carbon that must be understood before the observed electrical and electrochemical properties can be rationalized. For this purpose, we present a concise overview of the current state-of-the-art knowledge on the structural, electrical, and electrochemical features of ta-C thin films. Throughout this chapter we will utilize a close combination of computational and experimental methods, as this is the only approach that can provide in-depth understanding of these interesting but complex materials.