Lawson Mangum | 2026 I.S. Symposium

Name: Lawson Mangum
Title: Fabrication of a Copper Based Electrochemical Nitrate Sensor for Hydroponic Media
Major: Chemistry
Minor: German Studies
Advisor: David J. Kirby

Hydroponics are becoming an important new source of food as the population grows, and current soil quality is diminished. The process of measuring nutrient levels in hydroponic media is most often accomplished by commercially available devices that report the conductivity of the solution. This does give a broad sense of nutrient levels in the solution however it does not allow for the measurement of any specific nutrient in the hydroponic solution. This work explores the fabrication and use of a copper-based electrochemical sensor for the detection of nitrate. A three electrode electrochemical sensor should be able todetect nitrate, an important nutrient, in a hydroponics solution. The electrochemical cell uses linear sweep voltammetry to sweep potentials and measure the current of the solution to quantify a concentration of nitrate. Electroplating more copper onto the surface increased the surface area and signal allowed for detection of nitrate in a hoagland solution.

Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.