Silver nanoparticle assemblies supported on glassy-carbon electrodes for the electro-analytical detection of hydrogen peroxide

Electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide using an edge-plane pyrolytic-graphite electrode (EPPG), a glassy carbon (GC) electrode, and a silver nanoparticle-modified GC electrode is reported. It is shown, in phosphate buffer (0.05 mol L^–1, pH 7.4), that hydrogen peroxide cannot be detected directly on either the EPPG or GC electrodes. However, reduction can be facilitated by modification of the glassy-carbon surface with nanosized silver assemblies. The optimum conditions for modification of the GC electrode with silver nanoparticles were found to be deposition for 1 min at –0.5 V vs. Ag from 5 mmol L^–1 AgNO₃/0.1 mol L^–1 TBAP/MeCN, followed by stripping for 2 min at +0.5 V vs. Ag in the same solution. A wave, due to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide on the silver nanoparticles is observed at –0.68 V vs. SCE. The limit of detection for this modified nanosilver electrode was 2.0×10^–6 mol L^–1 for hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer (0.05 mol L^–1, pH 7.4) with a sensitivity which is five times higher than that observed at a silver macro-electrode. Also observed is a shoulder on the voltammetric wave corresponding to the reduction of oxygen, which is produced by silver-catalysed chemical decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen then oxygen reduction at the surface of the glassy-carbon electrode.     

Rapid determination of telmisartan in pharmaceuticals and serum by the parallel catalytic hydrogen wave method

The polarographic characteristics of telmisartan have been investigated in 0.8 mol L^–1 NH₃.H₂O–NH₄Cl (pH 8.9)–0.01 mol L^–1 H₂O₂ as supporting electrolyte. The results demonstrate that the polarographic reduction wave at ca. –1.30 V in the absence of H₂O₂ is a catalytic hydrogen wave, and the reduction wave enhanced by H₂O₂ is a so-called parallel catalytic hydrogen wave. The analytical sensitivity of the parallel catalytic hydrogen wave is ca. 60 times higher than that of the corresponding catalytic hydrogen wave. Based on the parallel catalytic hydrogen wave a novel method has been developed for determination of telmisartan by linear sweep polarography. The calibration curve is linear in the range 2.0×10^–8–2.0×10^–6 mol L^–1 and the detection limit is 1.0×10^–8 mol L^–1. The precision is excellent with relative standard deviations of 2.6% at a concentration of 1.0×10^–7 mol L^–1 telmisartan. The proposed method has been applied to the direct determination of the telmisartan in capsule forms and biological samples. The proposed method has been proved to be advantageous over existing CZE and MEKC methods in simplicity, rapidity, and reproducibility.     

Simultaneous Determination of Lipophilic Vitamin Esters Using Square-wave Voltammetry at the Glassy Carbon Electrode

Simple and rapid voltammetric method for simultaneous determination of all-trans-retinyl acetate (RAc) or all-trans-retinyl palmitate (RPa) and α-tocopheryl acetate (α-TOAc) has been proposed. The respective method was based on the anodic oxidation of the compounds of interest by square-wave voltammetry in acetone with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ LiClO₄ at the glassy carbon electrode. The procedure was also beneficial with respect to simple dissolution of sample directly in the supporting electrolyte. The all-trans-retinyl acetate could be quantified in two linear ranges (3.1–140 μmol L⁻¹ and 140–400 μmol L⁻¹) and α-tocopheryl acetate in linear range 5.3–400 μmol L⁻¹ with detection limits of 0.9 μmol L⁻¹ RAc (or 0.8 μmol L⁻¹ RPa) and of 1.6 μmol L⁻¹ α-TOAc. Selected commercial cosmetic products were analysed achieving satisfactory recoveries.     

Determination of thiol compounds in rat striatum microdialysate by HPLC with a nanosized CoHCF-modified electrode

A cobalt hexacyanoferrate (CoHCF) nanoparticle (size ca. 60 nm) chemically modified electrode (CME) was fabricated and the electrochemical behavior of thiols at this nanosized CoHCF CME was studied. In comparison with a bare glassy carbon (GC) electrode and with a general CoHCF CME which was electrodeposited in the traditional manner, the present nanosized CoHCF CME efficiently performed electrocatalytic oxidation for glutathione (GSH) and L-Cysteine (L-Cys) with relatively high sensitivity, outstanding stability, and long-life. Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the nanosized CoHCF CME was used for electrochemical determination (ECD) of GSH and L-Cys. The peak currents were a linear function of concentrations in the range 2.0×10^–7 to 2.0×10^–4 mol L^–1 for both GSH and L-Cys, with detection limits of 1.2×10^–7 and 1.0×10^–7 mol L^–1, respectively. Coupled with microdialysis sampling, the HPLC–ECD system has been successfully used to assess the GSH and L-Cys content of rat striatum.     

Simultaneous Determination of Aromatic Amines by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Carbon Nanotubes/Poly (3-methylthiophene) Modified Dual-Electrode

Liquid chromatography with amperometric detection (LC-AD) is developed and applied to simultaneously determine five aromatic amines. In the LC-AD, a new carbon nanotubes/poly(3-methylthiophene) modified dual-electrode is fabricated and then used as the working electrode. It is found that this chemically modified electrode (CME) exhibits efficiently electrocatalytic oxidation for aromatic amines with relatively high sensitivity, stability and long-life. Thus, lower detection in LC-AD can be achieved, which are 4.0 × 10^–8 mol L^–1 for aniline, 1.6 ×10^–7 mol L^–1 for 4-nitroaniline, 1.0 × 10^–7 mol L^–1 for 4-chloroaniline, 1.5 × 10^–7 mol L^–1 for 1-naphthylamine, 1.7 × 10^–7 mol L^–1 for 2-bromoaniline. The recoveries of the five analytes are also determined, which range between 0.95 and 1.05 for drinking water, 0.86 and 1.10 for the LiWa River water.     

Amperometric and spectrophotometric determination of carbaryl in natural waters and commercial formulations

The work presented describes the development and evaluation of two flow-injection analysis (FIA) systems for the automated determination of carbaryl in spiked natural waters and commercial formulations. Samples are injected directly into the system where they are subjected to alkaline hydrolysis thus forming 1-naphthol. This product is readily oxidised at a glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behaviour of 1-naphthol allows the development of an FIA system with an amperometric detector in which 1-naphthol determination, and thus measurement of carbaryl concentration, can be performed. Linear response over the range 1.0×10^–7 to 1.0×10^–5 mol L^–1, with a sampling rate of 80 samples h^–1, was recorded. The detection limit was 1.0×10^–8 mol L^–1. Another FIA manifold was constructed but this used a colorimetric detector. The methodology was based on the coupling of 1-naphthol with phenylhydrazine hydrochloride to produce a red complex which has maximum absorbance at 495 nm. The response was linear from 1.0×10^–5 to 1.5×10^–3 mol L^–1 with a detection limit of 1.0×10^–6 mol L^–1. Sample-throughput was about 60 samples h^–1. Validation of the results provided by the two FIA methodologies was performed by comparing them with results from a standard HPLC–UV technique. The relative deviation was <5%. Recovery trials were also carried out and the values obtained ranged from 97.0 to 102.0% for both methods. The repeatability (RSD, %) of 12 consecutive injections of one sample was 0.8% and 1.6% for the amperometric and colorimetric systems, respectively.     

Mercury-free sono-electroanalytical detection of lead in human blood by use of bismuth-film-modified boron-doped diamond electrodes

We report the electroanalytical determination of lead by anodic stripping voltammetry at in-situ-formed, bismuth-film-modified, boron-doped diamond electrodes. Detection limits in 0.1 mol L^–1 nitric acid solution of 9.6x10^–8 mol L^–1 (0.2 ppb) and 1.1x10^–8 mol L^–1 (2.3 ppb) were obtained after 60 and 300 s deposition times, respectively. An acoustically assisted deposition procedure was also investigated and found to result in improved limits of detection of 2.6×10^–8 mol L^–1 (5.4 ppb) and 8.5×10^–10 mol L^–1 (0.18 ppb) for 60 and 300 s accumulation times, respectively. Furthermore, the sensitivity obtained under quiescent and insonated conditions increased from 5.5 (quiescent) to 76.7 A mol^–1 L (insonated) for 60 s accumulation and from 25.8 (quiescent) to 317.6 A mol^–1 L (insonated) for 300 s accumulation. Investigation of the use of ultrasound with diluted blood revealed detection limits of the order of 10^–8 mol L^–1 were achievable with excellent inter- and intra-reproducibility and sensitivity of 411.9 A mol^–1 L . For the first time, electroanalytical detection of lead in diluted blood is shown to be possible by use of insonated in-situ-formed bismuth-film-modified boron-doped diamond electrodes. This method is a rapid, sensitive, and non-toxic means of clinical sensing of lead in whole human blood.     

Use of ICP and XAS to determine the enhancement of gold phytoextraction by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chilopsis linearis</Emphasis> using thiocyanate as a complexing agent

Under natural conditions gold has low solubility that reduces its bioavailability, a critical factor for phytoextraction. Researchers have found that phytoextraction can be improved by using synthetic chelating agents. Preliminary studies have shown that desert willow (Chilopsis linearis), a common inhabitant of the Chihuahuan Desert, is able to extract gold from a gold-enriched medium. The objective of the present study was to determine the ability of thiocyanate to enhance the gold-uptake capacity of C. linearis. Seedlings of this plant were exposed to the following hydroponics treatment: (1) 5 mg Au L^–1 (2.5×10^–5 mol L^–1), (2) 5 mg Au L^–1+10^–5 mol L^–1 NH₄SCN, (3) 5 mg Au L^–1+5×10^–5 mol L^–1 NH₄SCN, and (4) 5 mg Au L^–1+10^–4 mol L^–1 NH₄SCN. Each treatment had its respective control. After 2 weeks we determined the effect of the treatment on plant growth and gold content by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES). No signs of shoot-growth inhibition were observed at any NH₄SCN treatment level. The ICP–OES analysis showed that addition of 10^–4 mol L^–1 NH₄SCN increased the concentration of gold by about 595, 396, and 467% in roots, stems, and leaves, respectively. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) studies showed that the oxidation state of gold was Au(0) and that gold nanoparticles were formed inside the plants.     

Determination of Triphenyltin and Its Metabolite Diphenyltin in Culture Medium by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV detection

A method for the determination of triphenyltin and diphenyltin was developed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Triphenyltin and diphenyltin were separated using a reversed-phase Symmetry C₁₈ column (150 × 3.9 mm, 5 m) with tetrahydrofuran-water-acetonitrile-glacial acetic acid (13:25:5:7, v/v) containing 0.05% triethylamine and 1.0% sodium acetate as mobile phase at 0.50 mL min^–1 and detection at 257 nm. The calibration curves were linear from 0.26 mol L^–1 to 1100 mol L^–1 for triphenyltin with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999 (n=12) and from 0.60 mol L^–1 to 1200 mol L^–1 for diphenyltin with a correlation coefficient of 0.9991 (n=12), respectively. The detection limits of triphenyltin and diphenyltin were 0.2 mol L^–1 and 0.4 mol L^–1, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of triphenyltin and its metabolite diphenyltin in culture medium. The recoveries of triphenyltin and diphenyltin were in the ranges of 97.7% to 103.3% and 85.5% to 91.6%, respectively.     

Fabrication of a novel Li<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>MoO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis></Subscript> film modified electrode and its application as an electrochemical sensor of iodate

A novel organic gel film modified electrode was simply and conveniently fabricated by casting Li_xMoO_y and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) onto the surface of a gold electrode. The cyclic voltammetry and amperometry studies demonstrated that the Li_xMoO_y film modified electrode has a high stability and a good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of iodate. In amperometry, a good linear relationship between the steady current and the concentration of iodate was obtained in the range from 3×10^–7 to 1×10^–4 mol L^–1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997 and a detection limit of 1×10^–7 mol L^–1.     

Voltammetric behaviour and determination of moxifloxacin in pharmaceutical products and human plasma

The oxidative behaviour of moxifloxacin was studied at a glassy carbon electrode in different buffer systems using cyclic, differential pulse, and Osteryoung square-wave voltammetry. The oxidation process was shown to be irreversible over the entire pH range studied (2.0–10.0) and was diffusion-controlled. The methods were performed in Britton–Robinson buffer and the corresponding calibration graphs were constructed and statistical data were evaluated. When the proposed methods were applied at pH 6.0 linearity was achieved from 4.4×10^–7 to 1.0×10^–5 mol L^–1. Applicability to tablets and human plasma analysis was illustrated. Furthermore, a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode-array detection was developed. A calibration graph was established from 4.0×10^–6 to 5.0×10^–5 mol L^–1 moxifloxacin. The described methods were successfully employed with high precision and accuracy for estimation of the total drug content of human plasma and for pharmaceutical dosage forms of moxifloxacin.     

Preparation and certification of a reference material for the determination of nutrients in seawater

There is an urgent need for natural water reference materials certified for nutrients. In 1996, NRC collected seawater for a proposed CRM at a depth of 200 m in the North Atlantic; this was immediately filtered through 0.05-m cartridge filters into 50-L carboys. The water was later homogenized in the NRC laboratories in Ottawa and stabilized via gamma irradiation. Over six years of stability testing no significant deterioration was detected. In addition to the usual customary standard colorimetric procedures, alternative analytical methods were developed to enable the certification process. The production of a CRM called MOOS-1 will be discussed. Certified values, with uncertainty components addressing the homogeneity, stability, and characterization of the material, were calculated to be: orthophosphate=1.56±0.07 µmol L^–1, silicate=26.0±1.0 µmol L^–1, nitrite=3.06±0.15 µmol L^–1, and nitrite and nitrate=23.7±0.9 µmol L^–1.     

Chromotropic acid,a fluorogenic chelating agent for aluminium(III)

Complexation of aluminium(III) with the fluorogenic ligand chromotropic acid (4,5-dihydroxynaphthalene-2,7-disulfonic acid) has been revisited with the aim of using enhancement of the fluorescence intensity as an analytical tool. Complexation at the optimum pH4 was shown to lead to a 1:1 complex with a stability constant log ₁₁₀=18.4±0.7. The fluorogenic effect was thoroughly investigated. Nearly selective excitation of the chelate rather than the ligand could be achieved at wavelengths longer than 360 nm. For analytical purposes the main interfering ion was Ga³⁺. The strongest competing ligand was shown to be citric acid. Competitive complexation by acetate or formate ions can also make their use in a buffer at the usual concentration, 0.2 mol L^–1, questionable, whereas a 10^–2 mol L^–1 formic acid buffer was shown to be a good alternative. The calibration plot showed that the dependence of response on Al(III) concentration was linear up to 500 g L^–1; the detection limit was 0.65 g L^–1 (3SD _blank, n=10, SD=±1.4% at 10 g L^–1 and ±0.8% at 100 g L^–1). The analytical procedure was successfully applied to several samples of tap water and the results were in good agreement with those from AAS determination.     

A study of HPLC separation and spectrophotometric, polarographic and voltammetric detection of 4-substituted derivatives of N-nitroso-N-methylaniline

Optimised conditions have been found for the separation of N-nitroso-N-methylaniline derivatives substituted in the position 4 (4-R-NMA, where R =- H,- CH₃, - OCH₃, - Cl, - CN, - OH and - NO₂), using reversed phase HPLC with a C18 chemically bonded stationary phase. Suitable mobile phases are mixtures of aqueous 0.01 mol l^–1 KH₂PO₄ with methanol (4+6) or acetonitrile (7+3), or a mixture of water, methanol, acetonitrile and 80% H₃PO₄ (200+200+200+3). Four detection techniques have been investigated: Direct UV photometry, polarography on a hanging mercury drop electrode, anodic voltammetry on a glassy carbon fibre array electrode and indirect anodic voltammetric detection after photolytic denitrosation of the analytes. The UV photometry is the most universal and yields limits of detection around 10^–6 mol l^–1. Polarography exhibits the poorest sensitivity (with a limit of detection of ca. 10^–5 mol l^–1) but it can be used for selective detection of 4-NO₂-NMA. Direct voltammetric detection is selective for the oxidizable derivatives and the limits of detection attained are lower than those obtained by UV photometry (for 4-OH-NMA) or comparable with (for 4-OCH₃-NMA). When the analytes are photolytically denitrosated to yield oxidizable derivatives, the voltammetric detection of 4-H-NMA, 4-Cl-NMA, 4-CH₃-NMA and 4-NO₂-NMA has limits of detection one order of magnitude lower than those obtained UV photometrically.     

Direct immobilization in poly(dimethylsiloxane) for DNA, protein and enzyme fluidic biochips

A new arraying method is presented based on the properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) polymer to entrap beads bearing biologically active compounds. It is shown that such beads could be spotted and dried at the surface of a poly(vinyl chloride) master and subsequently transferred at the PDMS interface by direct moulding of the polymer on the mask. Moreover, the use of the PDMS-assisted-immobilization enables the development of either a low density array (100 spots) or a micro-channel biochip with a direct incorporation of the sensing element in a fluidic system for the quantitative detection of enzyme substrates, antigens and oligonucleotides, depending on the immobilized sensing element. All biochip formats were revealed by a chemiluminescent reaction detected with a charge coupled device camera.As a result, arrays of beads bearing active enzymes, antibodies and oligonucleotides were successfully obtained and enabled the achievement of biochips for the chemiluminescent detection of enzyme substrates, protein antigens and oligonucleotides sequence with detection limit of 1 μM, 1.5×10⁷ molecules and 10⁸ molecules, respectively.     

Determination of dopamine in synthetic cerebrospinal fluid by SWV with a graphite–polyurethane composite electrode

This work describes an electroanalytical investigation of dopamine using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the graphite–polyurethane composite electrode (GPU). In CV studies, well-defined redox peaks characterize the oxidation process at the GPU electrode, which is indicative of electrocatalytic effects associated with active sites on the GPU electrode surface. A new analytical methodology was developed using the GPU electrode and square wave voltammetry (SWV) in BR buffer solution (0.1 mol L^–1; pH 7.4). Analytical curves were constructed under optimized conditions (f=60s^–1, E_a=50 mV, E_I=2 mV) and detection and quantification limits of 6.4×10^–8 mol L^–1 (12.1 g L^–1) and 5.2×10^–6 mol L^–1 (0.9 mg L^–1), respectively, were achieved. The precision of the method was checked by performing ten successive measurements for a 9.9×10^–6 mol L^–1 dopamine solution. For intra-assay and inter-assay precisions, the relative standard deviations were 1.9 and 2.3%, respectively. In order to evaluate the developed methodology, the determination of dopamine was performed with good sensitivity and selectivity, without the interference of ascorbic acid in synthetic cerebrospinal fluid, which indicates that the new methodology enables reliable analysis of dopamine.     

A highly sensitive PVC membrane iodide electrode based on complexes of mercury(II) as neutral carrier

A novel solvent polymeric membrane electrode based on bis(1,3,4-thiadiazole) complexes of Hg(II) is described which has excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward iodide ion. The electrode, containing 1,4-bis(5-methyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-yl-thio)butanemercury(II) [Hg(II)BMTB(NO₃)₄], has a Nernstian potentiometric response from 2.0×10^–8 to 2.0×10^–2 mol L^–1 with a detection limit of 8.0×10^–9 mol L^–1 and a slope of –59.0±0.5 mV/decade in 0.01 mol L^–1 phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.0, 20°C). The selectivity sequence observed is iodide>bromide>thiocyanate>nitrite>nitrate>chloride>perchlorate>acetate>sulfate. The selectivity behavior is discussed in terms of the UV–Vis spectrum, and the process of transfer of iodide across the membrane interface is investigated by use of the AC impedance technique. The electrode was successfully applied to the determination of iodide in Jialing River and Spring in Jinyun Mountains, with satisfactory results.     

Anodic stripping voltammetric determination of mercury using multi-walled carbon nanotubes film coated glassy carbon electrode

An electrochemical method for the determination of trace levels of mercury based on a multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) film coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is described. In 0.1 mol L^–1 HCl solution containing 0.02 mol L^–1 KI, Hg²⁺ was firstly preconcentrated at the MWNT film and then reduced at –0.60 V. During the anodic potential sweep, reduced mercury was oxidized, and then a sensitive and well-defined stripping peak at about –0.20 V appeared. Under identical conditions, a MWNT film coated GCE greatly enhances the stripping peak current of mercury in contrast to a bare GCE. Low concentrations of I^– remarkably improve the determining sensitivity, since this increases the accumulation efficiency of Hg²⁺ at the MWNT film coated GCE. The stripping peak current is proportional to the concentration of Hg²⁺ over the range 8×10^–10–5×10^–7 mol L^–1. The lowest detectable concentration of Hg²⁺ is 2×10^–10 mol L^–1 at 5 min accumulation. The relative standard deviation (RSD) at 1×10^–8 mol L^–1 Hg²⁺ was about 6% (n=10). By using this proposed method, Hg²⁺ in some water samples was determined, and the results were compared with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The two results are similar, suggesting that the MWNT-film coated GCE has great potential in practical analysis.     

Voltammetric study of glibenclamide at carbon paste and Sephadex-modified carbon paste electrodes

The oxidative behaviour of the antidiabetic agent glibenclamide on a bare carbon paste electrode (CPE) and a Sephadex-modified carbon paste electrode (SMCPE) was explored by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The analysis procedure consisted of an open circuit accumulation step in stirred sample solution of Britton-Robinson buffer (0.04 mol L^–1, pH 2.0). This was followed by medium exchange to a clean solution of Britton-Robinson buffer (0.04 mol L^–1, pH 5.0), and subsequently an anodic potential scan was effected to obtain the voltammetric peak. The glibenclamide oxidation peak current obtained by DPV was proportional to the concentration of the glibenclamide in the range of 1.0×10^–9 mol L^–1 to 5.0×10^–8 mol L^–1 for 180 s accumulation time, with a detection limit of 4.0×10^–10 mol L^–1. A method was developed for the determination of glibenclamide in formulation and spiked human serum. Moreover, the proposed procedure was used to estimate the serum concentrations after oral administration of a 5 mg tablet of glibenclamide to three diabetic subjects.     

Latex bead immobilisation in PDMS matrix for the detection of p53 gene point mutation and anti-HIV-1 capsid protein antibodies

Two diagnostic chemiluminescent biochips were developed for either the detection of p53 gene point mutation or the serological detection of anti-HIV-1 p24 capsid protein. Both biochips were composed of 24 microarrays of latex beads spots (4×4) (150 m in diameter, 800 m spacing) entrapped in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) elastomer (PDMS). The latex beads, bearing oligonucleotide sequences or capsid protein, were spotted with a conventional piezoelectric spotter and subsequently transferred at the PDMS interface. The electron microscopy observation of the biochips showed how homogeneous and well distributed the spots could be. Point mutation detection on the codon 273 of the p53 gene was performed on the basis of the melting temperature difference between the perfect match sequence and the one base pair mismatch sequence. The hybridisation of a 20-mer oligonucleotide form the codon 273 including a one base pair mutation in its sequence on a biochip arrayed with non-muted and the muted complementary sequences, enabled a clear discrimination at 56°C between muted and wild sequences. Moreover, the quantitative measurement of the amount of muted sequence in a sample was possible in the range 0.4–4 pmol. Serological measurement of anti-HIV-1 p24 capsid protein on the biochip, prepared with 1-m-diameter latex beads, enabled the detection of monoclonal antibodies in the range 1.55–775 ng mL^–1. Such a range could be lowered to 0.775 ng mL^–1 when using 50-nm-diameter beads, which generated a higher specific surface. The validation of the biochip for the detection of anti-HIV-1 capsid protein antibodies was performed in human sera from seropositive and seronegative patients. The positivity of the sera was easily discriminated at serum dilutions below 1:1,000.