Electrochemical detection of nitro-containing compounds

An electrochemical cell comprising a sensing electrode, said sensing electrode being a working electrode and comprising a carbon electrode and a functional moiety covalently attached to a surface of said electrode, said functional moiety comprising an electron donating moiety and forms a charge-transfer complex with a nitro-containing compound, said functional moiety being selected from an aminoalkyl, and a silyl or siloxane substituted by an aminoalkyl, wherein said aminoalkyl is 1-10 carbon atoms in length, substituted by a —NR′R″ group, wherein R′ and R″ are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, or cycloalkyl,

• the electrochemical cell being such that upon contacting said nitro-containing compound with said sensing electrode and applying potential to said sensing electrode, a change in an electrochemical parameter as a result of electrochemical reduction of one or more nitro groups of said nitro-containing compound is effected.