Research Interests

The research in our laboratory can be summarized by the following topics:

1. Electroanalytical methods of detection of ultra-low concentrations of various analytes
   including both hard (metal, polymer) and soft (emulsion) nanoparticles, as well as
   biological macromolecules and organisms.
2. Electrokinetic phenomena: dielectrophoresis, electrothermal fluid flow, electrophoretic
   migration.
3. Scanning electrochemical microscopy using ac polarized microelectrodes.
4. Numerical simulations with COMSOL Multiphysics
5. Redox-flow batteries
6. Fundamentals of electron transfer

The long term goal of this research is to achieve single molecule detection using electrochemical methods. In regards to this, methods of stochastic electrochemistry offer an exceptional sensitivity; however, as of now they lack the specificity of detection. In the nearest future our research efforts will be directed towards resolving the specificity problems, as well as improving further the limits of detection. We are interested in the analysis of a wide group of analytes including bacteria, viruses and macromolecules, many of which are important in medicine and national defense.

Selected Publications

Schrage, B.; Zhang, B.; Petrochko, S. C.; Zhao, Z.; Frkonja-Kuczin, A.; Boika, A.; Ziegler, C. Highly Soluble Imidazolium Ferrocene Bis(sulfonate) Salts for Redox Flow Battery Applications. Inorganic Chemistry 2021, 60, 14, 10764-10771.

Zhao, Z.; Zhang, B.; Schrage, B.; Ziegler, C.; Boika, A. Investigations into Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries Based on Ferrocene Bisulfonate. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2020, 3, 10270-10277.

Frkonja-Kuczin, A.; Alicea-Salas, J.Y.; Arroyo-Currás, N.; Boika, A. Hot-SWV: Square Wave Voltammetry with Hot Microelectrodes. Analytical Chemistry, 2020, 92, 8852-8858.

Schrage, B.; Zhao, Z.; Boika, A.; Ziegler, C. Evaluating Ferrocene Ions and All- Ferrocene Salts for Electrochemical Applications. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 2019, 897, 23-31.

Zhao, Z.; Leonard, K.C.; Boika, A. Hot-Tip Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy: Theory and Experiments Under Positive and Negative Feedback Conditions. Analytical Chemistry, 2019, 91, 2970−2977. Featured on the front cover of the journal.

Frkonja-Kuczin, A.; Bonezzi, J.; Boika, A. Ultra-Sensitive Analysis Based on Electrochemistry, Electrokinetic and Magnetic Preconcentration of Analytes. Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 2019, 13, 55-60.

Schrage, B.; Zhao, Z.; Ziegler, C.; Boika, A. Cation‐Anion Redox Switching in an All‐Ferrocene Salt. ChemElectroChem., 2018, 5, 3624-3627.

Frkonja-Kuczin, A.; Ray, L.; Zhao, Z.; Konopka, M.C.; Boika, A. Electrokinetic preconcentration and electrochemical detection of Escherichia coli at a microelectrode. Electrochimica Acta,
2018, 280, 191-196.

Bonezzi, J.; Luitel, T.; Boika, A. Electrokinetic Manipulation of Silver and Platinum Nanoparticles and Their Stochastic Electrochemical Detection. Analytical Chemistry, 2017, 89, 8614-8619.

Bonezzi, J.; Boika, A. Deciphering the Magnitude of Current Steps in Electrochemical Blocking Collision Experiments and Its Implications. Electrochimica Acta, 2017, 236, 252-259.

Boika, A.; Zhao, Z. First Principles of Hot-Tip Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy: Differentiating Substrates According to Their Thermal Conductivities. Electrochemistry Communications, 2016, 68, 36-39.