1230 ANALYST, AUGUST 1992, VOL. 117 ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ Introduction to Papers Presented at the Meeting ‘Analytical Applications of Chemically Modified Electrodes‘ held in Bristol, UK, January 7-8, 1992 The idea of deliberately modifying electrode surfaces in a controlled fashion was first put into practice some 15 years ago. Since that time, a vast literature has been generated on the subject, illustrated by a review of modified carbon electrodes in this issue (Wring). One of the attractions of the field is that there exists the opportunity for scientists with widely differing expertise-from biological and synthetic chemistry, through physical and analytical chemistry, to chemical physics-to contribute to the subject. One of the perennial problems is that the contributions of these different groups are not always integrated.In a meeting held at Bristol University on January 7-8, 1992, we tried to bring some of these interests together under the umbrella of Analytical Applications of Chemically Modi- fied Electrodes. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Electrochemistry and Electroanalytical Groups of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In accordance with the mutual interests of these groups, our aim was to try and bridge the gap (hence the cover design) between fundamental studies and applica- tion to real problems, with rational design of the electrode/ analyte interface completing the feedback loop. Papers were presented covering areas from the design and synthesis (Higgins, Mortimer) of analytically useful modified electrodes through to their utility for inorganic (Smyth) and biological (Bartlett, Gibson, Gorton) solution phase and gas phase (Slater) sensing. This is backed up by extensive characteriza- tion studies (Hillman, Lyons, Walton, Wang) using a wide range of physical techniques. Over the next few years, as the field of modified electrodes matures, an important question will be asked: ‘Do they have real applications?’ The paper devoted to the production and application of disposable modified electrode sensors (Wring) strongly suggests that the answer is ‘Yes’. Robert Hillman John Hart