Electrically conducting diamond thin-film electrodes, fabricated by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), are providing researchers with a new material that meets the requirements for a wide range of applications. Many electrochemical measurements involve recording an electrical signal (such as a potential, current, or charge) associated with the oxidation or reduction (redox) of an analyte present in solution, and then relating this signal to the analyte concentration. The oxidation or reduction reaction occurs at an electrode-electrolyte solution interface (the electrochemical reaction zone). Therefore, the electrode reaction kinetics and reaction mechanism are strongly influenced by the structure of this interface, particularly the physical and chemical properties of the electrode material.

Important electrode properties include surface cleanliness, microstructure, surface chemistry, and density of electronic states (that is, electrical conductivity). The extent to which any one of these parameters affects a redox reaction depends upon the nature of the analyte. The electrode materials most often used in electrochemical measurements are platinum (Pt), gold (Au), and various forms of sp²-bonded (trigonal planar) carbon (for example, carbon fibers, glassy carbon, and pyrolytic graphite). A new electrode material, sp³-bonded (tetrahedral) diamond, offers advantages over graphite electrodes for electroanalysis and electrocatalysis.