Recent advances in stripping analysis

Summary A review is given of the key developments of stripping voltammetry in recent years. Important advances such as non-electrolytic (adsorptive) preconcentration schemes, modified or ultramicro stripping electrodes, and versatile and rapid flow systems are discussed. Such developments substantially enhance the analytical power of stripping voltammetry, allowing it to retain its place as one of the most useful techniques for trace analysis.     

Disposable Graphite Foil Based Electrodes and Their Application in Pharmaceutical Analysis

This paper explores a new source of graphite for working electrodes, which presents advantages such as low electrical resistance, good flexibility, favorable mechanical performance, versatility to design electrodes in almost any size and very low cost. The new electrodes were investigated in batch electrochemical cells as associated with flow injection analysis systems. Cyclic voltammetry, stripping voltammetry, and amperometry associated with flow injection analysis techniques were applied for the determination of ascorbic acid, zinc and paracetamol in pharmaceutical formulations, respectively. Well‐established analytical methods were applied for comparison purposes. The results herein demonstrate the potential of graphite foils as working electrodes in different electroanalytical methods, offering the possibility of producing disposable sensors for routine applications.     

Stripping voltammetry in environmental and food analysis

The review covers over 230 papers published mostly in the last 5 years. The goal of the review is to attract the attention of researchers and users to stripping voltammetry in particular, its application in environmental monitoring and analysis of foodstuffs. The sensors employed are impregnated graphite, carbon paste, thick film carbon/graphite and thin film metallic electrodes modified in-situ or beforehand. Hanging mercury drop electrodes and mercury coated glassy carbon electrodes are also mentioned. Strip and long-lived sensors for portable instruments and flow through systems are discussed as devices for future development and application of stripping voltammetry.     

Stripping voltammetry for the determination of trace metal speciation and in-situ measurements of trace metal distributions in marine waters

Progress in marine chemistry has been driven by improved sampling and sample handling techniques, and developments in analytical chemistry. Consequently, during the last 20 years our understanding of marine trace metal biogeochemistry has improved a great deal. Stripping voltammetric techniques (anodic stripping voltammetry and adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry) have made an important contribution to this understanding. The selectivity and extremely low detection limits have made stripping voltammetry a widely used technique for trace metal speciation and trace metal distribution measurements in seawater. Stripping voltammetry is very suitable for ship-board and in-situ applications because of the portability, low cost and capability for automation of the voltammetric instrumentation. Future developments in stripping voltammetry can be expected in the field of stand-alone submersible voltammetric analysers, capable of continuous trace metal measurements. Future applications of stripping voltammetry can be found in the interactions between trace metal speciation and growth and the functioning of organisms in pristine and metal polluted marine waters.     

Stripping voltammetry in environmental and food analysis

The review covers over 230 papers published mostly in the last 5 years. The goal of the review is to attract the attention of researchers and users to stripping voltammetry in particular, its application in environmental monitoring and analysis of foodstuffs. The sensors employed are impregnated graphite, carbon paste, thick film carbon/graphite and thin film metallic electrodes modified in-situ or beforehand. Hanging mercury drop electrodes and mercury coated glassy carbon electrodes are also mentioned. Strip and long-lived sensors for portable instruments and flow through systems are discussed as devices for future development and application of stripping voltammetry. Received: 30 March 2000 / Revised: 30 May 2000 / Accepted: 6 June 2000     

Screen-printed electrodes incorporated in a flow system for the decentralized monitoring of lead,cadmium and copper in natural and wastewater samples

Mercury-based screen-printed electrodes (SPE) combined with square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) techniques for the analysis of copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc in different water samples have been applied. The detection system has been implemented in a flow cell and different experimental conditions have been tested in view of its application for in-situ monitoring. In particular, an acetate buffer together with a low chloride concentration (0.025?M NaCl) provided best performance and reproducible results. Additionally, the flow system was validated for the first time in terms of limits of detection, linearity, repeatability and recovery. Limits of detection of 2.8?µg?L^?1, 4.1?µg?L^?1, and 7.5?µg?L^?1 for cadmium, lead and copper respectively and repeatabilities lower than 10% (as RSD) were found. Good recoveries have been obtained for the three cations and in particular for copper, even in the presence of zinc. Finally, the method has shown its efficiency for the rapid screening of lead, cadmium and copper contained in both natural waters and wastewater samples.     

Critical Comparison of Four Simple Adaptors for Flow Amperometric and Stripping Voltammetry with Mercury Drop Electrodes in Batch Cells

Electrochemical batch cells with mercury drop electrodes, MDEs, are readily available from a number of producers and widely used in electroanalysis for polarography, voltammetry and stripping voltammetry. To increase sample throughput and reduce reagent and sample consumption, the tendency is to couple the MDE with flow analysis systems (e.g., FIA, SIA or BIA). Many special flow cells for MDEs are described in the literature, but it is easier to convert existing commercial batch cells to flow operation. To assess the performance of such flow adaptors, four models were chosen because they are directly fitted to the glass capillary of any MDE, light enough not to impair the mechanical drop knocker and can be effortlessly built in the laboratory. They were all found adequate for flow amperometry and stripping voltammetry, with differences in sensitivity, flow rate dependence, response time, drop stability, tolerance to bubbles, uncompensated resistance and recontamination of disposed analyte from the electrolytic bath. Two of them, a simple L‐shaped PTFE tube and an upstream nozzle holder made from a disposable pipette tip, gather a larger set of desirable features.     

Multi-commutation in flow analysis: recent developments and applications

The concept of multi-commutation in flow analysis is revisited, and emphasis is given to recent methodological and applicative achievements. Multi-commutation is compatible with different flow patterns (unsegmented, segmented, pulsed, tandem) and amenable to concentration-oriented feedback mechanisms. Its exploitation has led to significant attainments mainly in relation to versatility of the flow system. Characteristics and potentialities of the multi-commuted flow systems are discussed, and guidelines for assisting methodological implementation are given.The number of applications has experienced remarkable increase during last years; therefore, the applicative part of this review is focused on the recent noteworthy applications, mainly in relation to environmental, agronomical, pharmaceutical, biological, food and industrial samples.     

Determination of selenium by means of computerized flow constant-current stripping at carbon fibre electrodes. : Application to human whole blood and milk powder.

The main features of the flow constant-current stripping analysis for selenium(IV) are formation of a mercury film on a carbon fibre sensor in a chloride medium containing mercury(II), electrolysis in the sample at ?0.20 V vs. SCE for 15–60 s, and subsequent stripping (reduction) of the mercury(II) selenide formed on the electrode surface, by means of a constant current of 0.40 μA in an acidic magnesium chloride solution containing Triton X-100. During stripping, the potential vs. time gradient is monitored at a real-time measuring rate of 25.6 kHz. All experimental parameters are under computer control. A standard addition method is used and the results are calculated and reported, both digitally and graphically. Equations relating the magnitude of the constant current to the concentration of reducible species, and, in particular, of dissolved dioxygen, are derived. Milk powder and whole blood reference samples were analyzed by high-pressure digestion in nitric acid and dilution with hydrochloric acid, in order to reduce selenium(VI) to selenium(IV), and then constant-current stripping. The results obtained by this method were lower than those obtained by the reference technique, but the values agreed within one standard deviation of the two techniques. Ions, such as iron(III) and lead(II), known to interferè with electrochemical stripping for selenium(IV) in batch analysis did not interfere in the flow approach.     

Potentiometric stripping analysis for manganese(II) in natural waters

Potentiometric stripping analysis (p.s.a.) methods for the measurement of manganese(II) in natural waters are described; batch and flow approaches are discussed. The more versatile flow p.s.a. technique is suitable for concentrations in the range 2 nM–30 μM. Application of these techniques is illustrated by measurements in a variety of natural waters. Interferences arising from manganese—copper interactions in the mercury electrode can be suppressed by the addition of zinc or gallium depending on the concentration of the interfering copper. The relative merits of the batch and flow p.s.a. techniques are discussed.     

环境与生物体系中铝形态分析技术的新进展

铝的形态分析是研究环境和生物体系中铝的毒性、生物有效性和传输机理的关键。从IUPAC2000，72，1453和Analyst2001，126(2)对元素形态概念的最新定义，在过去20年来，形态分析都是依据操作手段来进行“组形态”(group species)分析。然而，随着近5年来分析技术的发展，对铝的形态分析逐步达到了“单形态”(individual species)分析的水平。从以下两个方面对该领域的最新进展进行了评述，即：(1)组形态分析(fractionation)：离子交换、电化学分析和流动注射；(2)单形态分析(speciation)：联用技术、核磁共振和计算机拟合。     

Green chemistry and the evolution of flow analysis. A review

Flow analysis has achieved its majority as a well-established tool to solve analytical problems. Evolution of flow-based approaches has been analyzed by diverse points of view, including historical aspects, the commutation concept and the impact on analytical methodologies. In this overview, the evolution of flow analysis towards green analytical chemistry is demonstrated by comparing classical procedures implemented with different flow approaches. The potential to minimize reagent consumption and waste generation and the ability to implement processes unreliable in batch to replace toxic chemicals are also emphasized. Successful applications of greener approaches in flow analysis are also discussed, focusing on the last 10 years.     

A spectroelectrochemical approach to the electrodeposition of bismuth film electrodes and their use in stripping analysis

UV-vis reflection spectroelectrochemistry has proven to be a very useful multiresponse technique to evaluate the quality of bismuth films obtained by electrochemical deposition on glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs). Bismuth films have recently emerged as a promising and environmental friendly alternative to mercury electrodes for stripping analysis. Spectroelectrochemical measurements, carried out in a flow cell, allowed us to follow in situ the electrodeposition and stripping of bismuth and cadmium. Electrochemical and spectroscopic responses individually have led to successfully quantify the amount of cadmium in test solutions.     

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation on the Alternating Pulse Current Technique for Chronopotentiometric Stripping Analysis

Potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) and chronopotentiometric stripping analysis (CPSA) have been attracted attention as useful means for the trace analysis since the first publications of Jagner,etc. However, the sensitivity of the two techniques is limited.     

Potentiometric stripping analysis and anodic stripping voltammetry for measurement of copper(II) and lead(II) complexation by fulvic acid: A comparative study

The utility of potentiometric stripping analysis (PSA) for studying the interaction of fulvic acid with Cu^II and Pb^II at pH 1.8 and 4.8 was assessed. The impact of fulvic acid on both the deposition and stripping steps was considered. In contrast to results obtained by anodic stripping voltammetry, fulvic acid influenced both these steps in PSA, and to different degrees. Surface active substances have been claimed to have self-compensatory effects in PSA; this work shows that this is not valid for heterogenous natural complexants such as fulvic acid.     

200 years of practical electroanalytical chemistry: past, present and future directions illustrated by reference to the on-line, on-stream and off-line determination of trace metals in zinc plant electrolyte by voltammetric and potentiometric techniques

The millennium being celebrated this year coincides with the 200th anniversary of the birth of practical electrochemistry made possible via Volta’s publication of the battery in the year 1800. The analytical chemists at the beginning of the 19th century were very quick to take advantage of this newly reported device and the first qualitative electrochemical determination of copper rapidly followed this pioneering discovery. In the last 200 years, electrochemical analysis, in its various forms, has been undertaken routinely in countless laboratories all over the world. However, in view of the long and distinguished history of the discipline, and some limitations that have been identified at the time of the celebration of the millennium, electrochemical analysis is regarded in some quarters as being a mature and conservative discipline whose importance in the future, when faced with severe competition from newly emerging alternative analytical techniques, is somewhat unclear. In this paper, an overview of past and present developments in electroanalytical chemistry and the possible future status of the technique is presented. In particular, emphasis is given to describing applications relevant to the also very mature field of electrowinning of zinc from plant electrolyte. This overview encompasses the author’s 25 years’ experience in developing polarographic, stripping voltammetric, adsorptive stripping voltammetric and ion-selective electrode (ISE) methods of analysis in on-line, on-stream and off-line modes for the determination of elements such as Cd, Pb, Ge, Sb (oxidation states (III) and (V)), Co, Ni, Zn, Fe, (oxidation states (II) and (III)), Tl, As (total) and Cu in zinc plant electrolyte. Developments that may contribute to an important future for analytical voltammetry are also considered as are limitations that could inhibit the extent of practical use of these electroanalytical techniques in the 21st century.     

Analysis and speciation of arsenic by stripping potentiometry: a review

This paper provides a review that summarizes several examples of the literature from 1980 to 2003, to illustrate the applications of stripping potentiometry for the determination and speciation of arsenic in several samples. A discussion on the main advantages of stripping potentiometry in comparison with other electrochemical methods employed for arsenic determination is presented. Special attention is devoted to stripping modes (constant current or chemical stripping) and to issues related to the choice of working electrodes and supporting electrolyte. This approach has been also applied at arsenic determination in flow systems. A section is dedicated to speciation of arsenic and total arsenic determination and other to analytical characteristic of method and their interferences. An extensive compilation, organize by experimental and analytical parameters and real sample studied is presented.