Voltammetric determination of sorbite at a mechanically renewed copper electrode

Potentials and currents of D-sorbitol oxidation peaks as a function of polarization conditions for a copper electrode in situ renewed by mechanically cutting a 0.5-μm surface layer are studied by direct-current cyclic voltammetry. Oxidation peaks of sorbite emerge in cyclic voltammograms recorded in alkaline supporting electrolytes (0.05–0.10 M KOH and NaOH solutions) upon scanning the potential to the anodic region (E _p = 0.50–0.58 V) and in the reverse direction (E _p = 0.60–0.62 V). The shape and parameters of these peaks depend on the concentration of KOH, because of the different copper oxides involved in the oxidation of sorbite formed at the electrode surface. The regeneration of the electrode surface is the necessary condition for good reproducibility of the peak parameters. The signals obtained on the surface of the unrenewed electrodes are almost halved and less reproducible. The calibration graph of the current of the sorbite oxidation peak as a function of its concentration is linear in the range from 5 × 10⁻⁴ to 1 × 10⁻² M.     

Underpotential deposition of Cu on partially oxidized Rh electrodes

The underpotential deposition (UPD) of copper on partially oxidized rhodium electrodes was studied in acid medium using potentiodynamic techniques. The process was analyzed as a function of the potential and time of deposition. The potentiodynamic I-E patterns for the oxidative dissolution of Cu provide evidence for the existence of a chemical reaction between Cu and oxygen existing on the electrode surface. Redistribution of the active sites is also possible when appreciable quantities of oxidized species are simultaneously reduced by the UPD process. The partially oxidized rhodium electrodes were prepared by cyclic voltammetry and anodic polarization. The later method provided the most oxidized surfaces, but, even in this case, the degree of oxygen surface coverage was lower than that corresponding to a monolayer. Received: 11 July 1997 / Accepted: 10 February 1998     

Electrocatalytic reduction of O2 at pyrolytic graphite electrode modified by a novel copper(II) complex with 2-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amino]ethanol and imidazole ligands

A new complex formed by Cu(II) with 2-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amino]ethanol and imidazole is prepared, and its electrochemical properties are studied. The electrochemical experiments are carried out in deaerated pH 7.0 buffer solution through cyclic voltammetry by scanning the potential from 0.1 to −0.5 V with this copper(II) complex-modified electrode as the working electrode. One redox process is observed, which could be assigned to Cu(II)/Cu(I). The formal potential E _0′ = (E _pa + E _pc)/2, where E _pa and E _pc are anodic and cathodic peak potentials, is −248 mV vs. SCE. A straight line, obtained from the plot of I _pc vs. v, indicated a surface-controlled reaction. The modified electrode is very stable and exhibits catalytic activity for oxygen reduction. The possible mechanism for the catalytic reduction of oxygen is studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results show that the dioxygen is reduced via a pathway of four-electron reduction to form water. Chronoamperometric measurements show the potentiality of the use of this working electrode as an amperometric sensor for dissolved dioxygen in aqueous media. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2006, Vol. 42, No. 8, pp. 975–979. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Prospect of determining copper sulfide nanoparticles by voltammetry: A potential artifact in supersaturated solutions

Certain natural waters appear to contain copper sulfide (Cu_xS) nanoparticles in nanomolar concentrations (as Cu). These nanoparticles have been tentatively identified by the characteristic pH below which they deposit sulfide onto Hg electrodes. A proposed alternate approach to studying Cu_xS nanoparticles relies on their hydrophobicity, which causes them to sorb to Hg electrodes; there they can undergo reduction at −0.9 to −1.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl. However, solutions supersaturated with respect to Cu sulfide phases also form Cu_xS directly at Hg electrode surfaces. The voltammetric reduction peaks obtained from these deposits are not clearly distinguishable from those obtained from sorbed nanoparticles. Surface formation of Cu_xS, which appears to be limited to approximately two layers, involves a reaction between Cu amalgam and electrodeposited HgS. Surface-formed Cu_xS could be problematic in studies of Cu_xS nanoparticles, but this obstacle can be avoided by conducting voltammetric accumulations at potentials too negative for HgS electrodeposition (e.g. −0.85 V). Electroreduction of surface-formed Cu_xS occurs by a two-dimensional instantaneous hole nucleation and growth process.     

Anodic behavior of tin, indium, and tin–indium alloys in oxalic acid solution

The anodic behavior of tin, indium, and tin–indium alloys was studied in oxalic acid solution using potentiodynamic technique and characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The E/I curves showed that the anodic behavior of all investigated electrodes exhibits active/passive transition. In the case of tin, the active dissolution region involves two anodic peaks (I and II) prior to permanent passive region. On the other hand, the active dissolution of indium involves four peaks (I–IV) prior to permanent passive region. The first (I) can be associated with the active dissolution of indium to InOOH, the second peak (II) to the formation of In(OH)₃, the third peak (III) to partially dehydration of In(OH)₃, and the peak (IV) to complete dehydration of In(OH)₃ to In₂O₃. When the surface is entirely covered with In₂O₃ film, the anodic current falls to a small value (I _pass) indicating the onset of passivation. The active dissolution potential region of the first three tin–indium alloys involves a net anodic contribution peak, and this is followed by a passive region. It is expected that the investigated peak is related to the formation of In₂O₃ and SnO (mixed oxides). When the formation of oxides (the oxides of In and Sn) exceeds its dissolution rate, the current drops, indicating the onset of passivation precipitation of In₂O₃/SnO and SnO₂ on the surface which blocks the dissolution of active sites. The alloys IV and V showed small second peak at about −620 mV which may be related to oxidation of In to In₂O₃ due to high In content in the two examined alloys. The active dissolution and passive current are increase with increasing temperature for all investigated metals and their alloys.     

Feasibility studies on the electrochemical recovery of fission platinoids from high-level liquid waste

The electrochemical behavior of ruthenium(III) and rhodium(III) in nitric acid medium has been studied at platinum and stainless steel electrodes by cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammograms consisted of surge in cathodic current occurring at potentials of −0.13 V (Vs. Pd) and −0.15 V (Vs. Pd), which culminates into peaks at −0.47 V and −0.5 V due to the reductions of Ru(III) and Rh(III) to their metallic forms, respectively. Electrodeposition was carried out at stainless steel electrode and unlike palladium, the recovery of ruthenium and rhodium was limited to ~4% and ~14%, respectively. However, a different scenario was observed in case of electrodeposition from a ternary solution containing all these platinum metals. Ruthenium and rhodium deposited underpotentially in the presence of palladium and the recovery of ~20% and ~5% was observed for ruthenium and rhodium, respectively. Evolution of RuO₄ at the anode and deposition of RuO₂ in the anodic side was observed in all cases during electrolysis of ruthenium(III) containing solutions.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Calcium Folinate on Carboxyl Graphene Modified CuxO/Cu Electrode

Carboxyl graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was fabricated. The bare copper electrode was firstly anodic polarized in 1.0 mol/L NaOH solution in order to get Cu_xO nanoparticles, then the carboxyl graphene (CG) was electrodeposited on the Cu_xO/Cu electrode by cyclic potential sweeping. The electrocatalytic oxidation behaviors of calcium folinate (CF) at the graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A positive scan polarization reverse catalytic voltammetry was used to obtain the pure catalytic oxidation current. The graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was served as the electrochemical sensor of CF, a highly sensitivity of 22.0 μA·(μmol/μL)^-1cm^-2 was achieved, and the current response was linear with increasing CF concentration in the range of 2.0×10^-7 mol/L to 2.0×10^-5 mol/L, which crossed three orders of magnitude, and the detection limit was found 7.6×10^-8 mol/L (S/N=3). In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully applied in determination of CF in drug sample.     

The influence of different variables on the electrochemical behavior of mild steel in circulating cooling water containing aggressive anionic species

Cyclic voltammetric, potentiodynamic anodic polarization and current–time transient studies were carried out on mild steel in circulating cooling water containing Cl⁻ and SO₄⁻² ions under the effect of different variables such as coolant flow, the availability of oxygen, cooling system temperature, and cooling system pH. The anodic excursion span of mild steel in cooling corrosive solution was characterized by the occurrence of a well-defined anodic peak (A1), while the reverse sweep was characterized by the appearance of two cathodic peaks (C1 and C2). The presence of Cl⁻ and SO₄⁻² ions in cooling water enhance the active dissolution of mild steel and tend to breakdown the passive film and induce pitting attack. The data reveal that increasing flow rate and temperature of cooling solution enhances the anodic peak current density (j _A1) and shifts the pitting potential (E _pit) towards more active values. It is seen that the peak current density of the anodic peak A1 increases and the pitting potential (E _pit) displaced in the noble direction in the aerated solution compared that in de-aerated solution. The pitting corrosion of mild steel by Cl⁻ and SO₄⁻² ions initiates more readily in acidic medium (pH 2.0). It was found that the incubation time (t _i) increase and in turn the pitting corrosion decrease in the order: pH 10 > pH 6.8 > pH 2.0.     

Electrochemical investigation of redox reactions of herbal drug-shikonin and its determination in pharmaceutical preparations

The electrochemical behaviour of the anticancer herbal drug shikonin was investigated at glassy carbon electrode in 0.16 M HAc-NaAc (20% ethanol, pH 3.98) buffer solution using cyclic voltammetry, square-wave voltammetry and chronocoulometry. Shikonin gives a pair of quasi-reversible redox peaks at potentials of E _pc = 0.698 V and E _pa =0.632 V by absorption-controlled process at a scan rate of 100 mV/s. The electrode process dynamics parameters (saturated adsorptive amount Γ, charge transfer coefficient α, and apparent rate constant K _s) and reaction mechanism were also investigated with result of two electrons and two hydrogen ions participating in electrode reaction. The experimental conditions were optimized for the determination of shikonin and the square-wave anodic peak currents were linearly related to the shikonin concentrations in the range from 2.08 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.82 × 10⁻⁶ M with correlation coefficient of 0.998 and detection limit of 7.8 × 10⁻⁹ M. Using the established method without pretreatment and pre-separation, shikonin in herbal drug Gromwell Root was determined with satisfactory result.     

EQCM Study of Iridium Anodic Oxidation in H2SO4 and KOH Solutions

In the present study anodic oxidation of iridium layer formed thermally on a gold‐sputtered quartz crystal electrode has been investigated by electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry (EQCM) in the solutions of 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 0.1 M KOH. The emphasis here has been put on the microgravimetric behavior of iridium as a metal, because a few previous EQCM studies reported in literature have been devoted to iridium oxide films (IROFs). The objective pursued here has been to elucidate the nature of the main voltammetric peaks, which occur at different ranges of potential in the solutions investigated. It has been found that anodic oxidation of iridium electrode in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 0.1 M KOH solutions is accompanied by irregular fluctuations of the electrode mass at 0.4 V<E<0.8 V followed by regular increase in mass at 0.8 V<E<1.2 V. The cathodic process initially, at 1.2 V>E>0.9 V, proceeds without any or with slight increase in electrode mass, whereas at E<0.8 V a regular decrease in mass is observed. It has been found that mass to charge ratio characterizing the processes of interest is 2 to 3 g F^?1in acidic medium, whereas in the case of alkaline one it is 4 to 6 g F^?1. The main pair of peaks seen in the voltammograms of Ir electrode in alkaline medium at E<0.8 V is attributable to redox transition Ir(0)→Ir(III), whereas those observed in the case of acidic medium at E>0.8 V should be related to the redox process Ir(0)→Ir(IV) going via intermediate stage of Ir(III) formation. As a consequence of these redox transitions, the gel‐like surface layer consisting of Ir(III) or Ir(IV) hydrous oxides forms on the electrode surface.     

Formation of cuprous oxide layers in Cu(II) solutions containing gluconic acid

In accordance with thermodynamic analysis, cuprous oxide layers are formed spontaneously in the Cu|Cu(II), gluconic acid system at pH > 3.7 under open-circuit conditions. A current peak of Cu₂O reduction is observed on cathodic voltammograms at ca −0.7 V, its height being dependent on the exposure time. The analysis of the charge transferred in this region yields the rate of Cu₂O formation equal to 1.25 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol cm⁻² s⁻¹. The light perturbation of Cu electrode under open-circuit conditions results in the generation of a negative photopotential, which is indicative of n-type conductivity. The threshold wavelength is equal to ∼590 nm and is consistent with a band gap of ∼2.1 eV. Anodic photocurrents, which are observed near the open-circuit potential, decrease with cathodic polarization and change their sign at ∼0.05 V. Analysis of impedance data was performed, invoking the equivalent circuit that accounts for the two-step charge transfer. In the presence of Cu₂O, some retardation of Cu(II) reduction was found to occur with a slight increase in the admittance of the double layer. The suggestion has been made that oxide layers formed in Cu(II) gluconate solutions cannot be compact and uniformly distributed over the entire electrode surface. Relevant investigations of surface morphology support this conclusion.     

Electrochemical characterization of 2, 2′-[1, 2-ethanediylbis (nitriloethylidyne)]-bis-hydroquinone-carbon nanotube paste electrode and its application to simultaneous voltammetric determination of ascorbic acid and uric acid

The preparation and electrochemical characterization of a carbon nanotube paste electrode modified with 2,2′-[1,2-ethanediylbis (nitriloethylidyne)]-bis-hydroquinone, referred to as EBNBH, was investigated. The EBNBH carbon nanotube paste electrode (EBNBHCNPE) displayed one pair of reversible peaks at E _pa = 0.18 V and E _pc = 0.115 V vs Ag/AgCl. Half wave potential (E _1/2) and ΔE _p were 0.148 and 0.065 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. The electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) has been studied on EBNBHCNPE, using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. It has been shown that the oxidation of AA occurs at a potential where oxidation is not observed at the unmodified carbon paste electrode. The heterogeneous rate constant for oxidation of AA at the EBNBHCNPE was also determined and found to be about 1.07 × 10⁻³ cm s⁻¹. The diffusion coefficient of AA was also estimated as 5.66 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹ for the experimental conditions, using chronoamperometry. Also, this modified electrode presented the property of electrocatalysing the oxidation of AA and uric acid (UA) at 0.18 and 0.35 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. The separations of anodic peak potentials of AA and UA reached 0.17 V. Using differential pulse voltammetry, the calibration curves for AA and UA were obtained over the range of 0.1–800 μM and 20–700 μM, respectively. With good selectivity and sensitivity, the present method provides a simple method for selective detection of AA and UA in biological samples.     

PbO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite anode with interconnected structure for the electrochemical incineration of phenol

A PbO₂-SnO₂ composite anode with interconnected structure is prepared for organics electro-incineration through a two-step method, thermal-decomposition process and subsequent low-current density electrodeposition process. The element mapping, together with the impedance spectra of the composite electrode, confirms that an interconnected architecture of SnO₂ and PbO₂ grains, instead of a lamellar structure, was obtained on the Ti substrate. A lower electrodeposition current density (≤10 mA cm⁻²) is very crucial for the formation of a porous surface and an interconnected architecture of two oxides inside. The asprepared electrode exhibits an enhanced electrocatalytic activity on the mineralization of phenol and a long service life due to the interconnected architecture, which helps to utilize the merits of these two metal oxides simultaneously. This two-step method also provides us a novel and facile way to fabricate a series of composite material such as oxide-oxide, oxide-metal composite electrodes.     

Realization of Rhodium Metal‐Oxide Electrode in Indifferent Electrolytes

The pH‐dependence of the stationary open‐circuit potential E_i=0^st of rhodium electrode with a surface layer of anodically formed insoluble compounds has been studied in sulfate and phosphate solutions by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The range of potentials of the investigations performed has been confined to the region of rhodium electrochemical oxidation/reduction, i.e., 0.2<E<1.2 V (RHE) in order to prevent any possible interference of other reactions such as H₂ and O₂ evolution. It has been shown that rhodium electrode with a layer of surface compounds formed anodically at E<<1.23 V (RHE) behaves like a reversible metal‐oxide electrode within the range of pH values from ca. 1.0 to ca. 8.0. It has been presumed that the stationary potential of such electrode is determined by the equilibrium of the following electrochemical reaction: Rh+3H₂O??Rh(OH)₃+3H⁺+3e^?. The pH‐dependence of the reversible potential of Eequation/tex2gif-inf-6.gif electrode has been found to be: Eequation/tex2gif-inf-8.gif=E_i=0^st=0.69?0.059 pH, V. In acid solutions (pH<2.0) rhodium hydroxide dissolves into the electrolyte, therefore, to reach equilibrium, the solution must be saturated with Rh(OH)₃. This has been achieved by adding Rh³⁺ ions in the form of Rh₂(SO₄)₃. The solubility product of Rh(OH)₃, estimated from the experimental Eequation/tex2gif-inf-16.gif?pH dependence obtained, is ca. 1.0×10^?48, which is close to the value given in literature.     

Electrochemical study of spinel oxide systems with nominal compositions Ni1− x Cu x Co2O4 and NiCo2− y Cu y O4

Studies on the electrochemical behaviour of Ni_{1− x} Cu _x Co₂O₄ (x ≤ 0.75) and NiCo_{2− y} Cu _y O₄ (y ≤ 0.30) electrodes in 5 mol dm⁻³ KOH aqueous solutions are presented. The oxide layers have been prepared by thermal decomposition of aqueous nitrate solutions on nickel supports at 623 K. Powder samples were also prepared by thermal decomposition under the same conditions. The powder samples and the oxide layers were characterised by X-ray powder diffraction. The influence of the copper content on the voltammetric response of the electrodes and activity towards oxygen evolution reaction is analysed and correlated with the surface composition of the electrodes by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data. The analysis of the results reveals that the presence of Cu affects the electrode behaviour and its influence depends on which cation has been replaced. Received: 22 February 1999 / Accepted: 26 October 1999     

Electrochemical and surface analytical study of the formation of oxide films on monel-400 and copper in alkaline media

The nature of the oxide films formed on monel-400 and copper in presence of NaOH and N-methylpyrrolidine (a volatile amine) at pH 9.5 and in 0.1 M KNO₃ medium were investigated. The oxide films were grown by applying an anodic potential of +0.4 V (vs saturated calomel electrode) for 30 min. The compositions of the surface oxide films were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the case of copper in NaOH medium, Cu(0) and a very small amount of copper hydroxide were observed. However, in amine medium, Cu(0) and Cu-amine complex were found. For monel in NaOH, the anodic film was found to contain hydroxides of both copper and nickel. After sputtering, this film showed a small amount of metal oxide below the hydroxide layer as confirmed by the oxygen peak. In amine medium the anodic film was found to contain only nickel hydroxide and metallic copper. The depth profile analysis of films showed that the film developed was very thin and the nickel hydroxide was sputtered very easily from the film. Received: 27 May 1997 / Accepted: 8 September 1997     

Characterization and application of an electrode modified by mechanically immobilized copper hexacyanoferrate

A newly modified electrode was prepared by mechanical immobilization of copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) on a graphite electrode. The modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetric experiments. The effect of different background electrolytes, pHs and scan rates on the electrochemical behaviour of the electrode has been evaluated. In NH₄Cl two reversible redox peaks were observed. The first redox peak corresponding to Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ is observed only in this medium. The second redox peak corresponds to the Fe(CN)₆ ^4–/Fe(CN)₆ ^3– couple. Both anodic peaks were used for catalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid. As the anodic current for catalytic oxidation was proportional to the amount of ascorbic acid, an analytical method was developed for the determination of ascorbic acid in commercial samples. Received: 26 May 1998 / Revised: 15 March 1999 / Accepted: 20 March 1999     

Electrochemical investigation of flavonolignans and study of their interactions with DNA in the presence of Cu(II)

Flavonolignans, silybin and its derivatives (2,3-dehydrosilybin, 7-O-methylsilybin, 20-O-methylsilybin) and isosilybin were studied using ex situ (adsorptive transfer, AdT) cyclic and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The two oxidation steps were described for flavonolignans at potentials E_p1 + 0.5 V and E_p2 + 0.85 V depending on experimental conditions. An additional oxidation peak at E_p3 + 0.35 V was observed only for 2,3-dehydrosilybin. The anodic currents of flavonolignans are related to their electron transfer processes (oxidation of hydroxyl groups), which was supported by density functional theory (DFT) and B3P86 theory level. Our electrochemical results confirmed that 2,3-dehydrosilybin is a relatively strong antioxidant, which is strictly associated with oxidation at E_p3. The oxidation processes and antioxidant parameters of flavonolignans can be affected by transition metal complexation via hydroxyl groups. We found that silybin and 2,3-dehydrosilybin are able to chelate transition metals, especially Cu²⁺. The formation of silybin/Cu complexes was studied by AdT SWV and the observation was also confirmed using fluorescence spectroscopy. The electrochemical investigation of DNA interactions and damage caused in the presence of silybin/Cu complex and hydrogen peroxide is described. We present evidence that flavonolignans are involved not only in antioxidant abilities but also in the prooxidation effects under in vitro conditions.     

Stripping Analysis of Trace Arsenic Based on the MnOx/AuNPs Composite Film Modified Electrode in Alkaline Media

A simple, rapid fabricated and sensitive modified electrode for detection of As(III) in alkaline media was proposed. The modified electrode was prepared by co‐electrodeposition of manganese oxides (MnO_x) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with cyclic voltammetry. Linear sweep anodic stripping voltammetry (LS‐ASV) was employed for the determination of arsenic (III) without interference from Cu(II), Hg(II), and other coexisting metal ions. A lower detection limit of 0.057 µg L^?1 (S/N=3) were obtained with a accumulation time of 200 s. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine arsenic (III) in real water samples with satisfactory recoveries.     

Electrodeposition of lead on to a graphite probe for electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple system for controlled potential electrodeposition on to a graphite probe electrode is described. Totally pyrolytic graphite was found to be better for electrodeposition than microporous glassy carbon or electrographite coated with pyrolytic graphite. Lead can be deposited by anodic and cathodic processes as PbO₂ and Pb, respectively. Potentials of + 1.2 to + 2.0 V were best for anodic deposition and – 0.8 to– 2.0 V were best for cathodic deposition. With an electrodeposition time of 120 s, AAS sensitivity gains of × 9 and × 3.5 were achieved for anodic and cathodic deposition, respectively, in comparison with the results obtained by direct injection of 20 1 sample volumes on to the probe. The lead cathodic process was unaffected by NaCl concentrations up to 10^–2 M, but only 10^–3 M NaCl could be tolerated by anodic deposition.