Influence of hydrodynamic conditions of the solution on the sensitivity of stripping analysis of trace metals

Possibilities to increase the sensitivity of stripping analysis by optimising the hydrodynamic conditions of the solution during the deposition and rest period are evaluated. Rotation rates as high as 13 000 rpm can be applied during the deposition step at a mercury film rotating disc electrode for Zn, Cd, Pb, In and Tl determinations when 10–20 mg/l of Hg²⁺ for the renewal of the mercury film is added. Because of the extreme sensitivity on the properties of the mercury film in the case of Ga only 4000–5000 rpm are recommended. The highest stirring efficiencies using a magnetic stirrer are equivalent to 2500–3000 rpm when a rotating disc electrode is used. The effect of the duration of the rest period is not significant for square wave stripping voltammetry, however, analytical signals can be increased 10 and more times when potentiometric stripping analysis is applied.     

Recent developments in stripping analysis of trace metals

Development of sensing systems for trace metals is highly important because the abnormal concentration of some metals or the presence of some traces of toxic metals is very dangerous. The stripping analysis is an efficient way to detect metals even at low concentrations. Much work has been carried out to develop highly sensitive, stable, reproducible, and cheap electrochemical sensors for metal ions. This review summarizes the recent progress is stripping analysis of trace metals, focusing on works published from 2015 to 2019.     

Macroporous antimony film electrodes for stripping analysis of trace heavy metals

We report on the elaboration of macroporous antimony film electrodes. The strategy to create macroporous electrodes is based on the replication of colloidal crystal templates. These electrodes of controlled porosity show an increased internal electroactive area and a significantly improved electrochemical performance. The application of this novel electrochemical sensor for the sensitive quantification of traces of heavy metals has been demonstrated in combination with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry in model solutions.     

Absolute analysis of trace metals through galvanostatic stripping chronopotentiometry with signal accumulation

An electrochemical flow-through cell with a porous working electrode made of vitreous carbon particles and plated with mercury was used for the absolute determination of Pb using galvanostatic stripping chronopotentiometry in a flow system. After completing the potentiostatic electrodeposition of the analyte from the flowing sample solution the flow was stopped and oxygen in the solution inside the pores of the electrode was removed by reducing it. The deposit was then stripped by applying a constant current of 50 to 1000 A and the measured potential vs time (E vs t) data were converted to the dt/dE vs E dependence by a memory mapping technique. Owing to the thin layer properties of the cell, the stripping/deposition steps could be repeated reproducibly enabling the accumulation of the signals while improving the signal to noise ratio. The method was also found to be suitable for the simultaneous determination of Cd, Pb and Cu. The experimental conditions, computerized data handling and signal processing have been investigated. Water, grass and sediment samples were analyzed for traces of Pb.     

Microcell for anodic stripping voltammetry of trace metals

A microcell for batch injection stripping voltammetry of trace metals with the use of a rotating disk working electrode has been developed and tested for samples of 0.2-0.3 mL. The detection limits for Pb(2+), Cd(2+) and Zn(2+) are 0.03 ppb and 0.3 for a deposition time of 5.0 and 0.5 min, respectively.     

Microcell for anodic stripping voltammetry of trace metals

A microcell for batch injection stripping voltammetry of trace metals with the use of a rotating disk working electrode has been developed and tested for samples of 0.2–0.3 mL. The detection limits for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ are 0.03 ppb and 0.3 for a deposition time of 5.0 and 0.5 min, respectively.     

Bismuth nano-powder electrode for trace analysis of heavy metals using anodic stripping voltammetry

In the present work, a more sensitive and conveniently usable electrode sensor for a trace analysis of heavy metal was developed by using Bi nanopowder synthesized by levitational gas condensation (LGC) method. It was observed from the TEM image that the Bi nanopowder is spherical in shape with a size of nearly 50 nm. The XRD pattern revealed intense peaks which can be indexed as a rhombohedral structure of Bi without any other diffraction peaks corresponding to an oxide or an impurity. This indicates that the resulting nanopowder synthesized by the LGC method is a highly crystallized Bi with a high purity. The square wave anodic stripping voltammograms (SWASV), experimentally measured for the Bi nanopowder electrode, showed well-defined and highly reproducible electrochemical responses relating to the stripping of Cd and Pb. The detection limit of the electrode was estimated to be 0.15 μg/l and 0.07 μg/l for Cd and Zn, respectively, on the basis of the signal-to-noise characteristics (S/N = 3) of the response for the 1.0 μg/l solution under a 10 min accumulation.     

Applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry for the trace analysis of metals, pharmaceuticals and biomolecules

 A review with 159 references is presented on the applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for determining trace metal ions in different environmental samples (e.g. water, soil, plant, biological fluids). The analytical applications of AdSV to biologically active organic compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biomolecules) are also discussed. Received: 18 December 1995/Revised: 8 January 1997/Accepted: 12 January 1997     

Applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry for the trace analysis of metals, pharmaceuticals and biomolecules

 A review with 159 references is presented on the applications of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for determining trace metal ions in different environmental samples (e.g. water, soil, plant, biological fluids). The analytical applications of AdSV to biologically active organic compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, biomolecules) are also discussed. Received: 18 December 1995/Revised: 8 January 1997/Accepted: 12 January 1997     

Antimony-film electrode for the determination of trace metals by sequential-injection analysis/anodic stripping voltammetry

The possibility of applying antimony-film modified glassy carbon electrode in sequential-injection analysis (SIA) was investigated with the objective of determining Pb(II) and Cd(II) by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The conditions of antimony-film deposition concerning composition of the plating/carrier solutions, concentrations of Sb(III) and hydrochloric acid, effects of different supporting electrolyte salts, and plating potential were optimized. It was found that the antimony-film deposition on glassy carbon substrate in a sample solution consisting of 750 μg L⁻¹ Sb(III), 0.5 mol L⁻¹ HCl at −1.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3 mol L⁻¹ KCl) yielded a modified electrode suitable for the determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) at the μg L⁻¹ level. The reproducibility of the analytical signals was characterized by a relative standard deviation lower than 2.8%, and the calculated values of detection limits were 1.2 μg L⁻¹ for Pb(II) and 1.4 μg L⁻¹ for Cd(II). The presence of KSCN in the sample solution offers the possibility of detecting ions with more negative oxidation potentials like Zn(II), Mn(II) or Cr(III). The developed SIA-ASV procedure was compared with the commonly used batch method, and its applicability was tested on a spiked tap water sample.     

Application of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) for the analysis of trace metals in brine

Summary Routine analysis of brine for trace metals is important for safe and economical production in the alkali chloride electrolysis. As opposed to many spectroscopic techniques, trace metal determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) is shown to be performed directly in brine. With minimal sample preparation chromium(VI), iron(III), nickel(II), cobalt(II), titanum(IV), manganese(II), molybdenum(VI) and vanadium(V) can be determined within minutes. The influence of parameters such as pH-value, supporting electrolyte solution, concentration of complexing reagents and possible interferents are investigated for optimal experimental conditions. Minimum detection limits are less than 5 ng/g for all trace metals except 1 ng/g for chromium(VI), cobalt(II) and molybdenium(VI) for 40 s adsorption periods with precisions of better than 7%. AdSV with linear or differential pulse scan is discussed.     

Batch-injection stripping voltammetry (tube-less flow-injection analysis) of trace metals with on-line sample pretreatment

The most essential limitation of batch-injection analysis (BIA) methodology compared to other flow methods (CFA, FIA, SIA) is the lack of possibility of on-line sample processing in the measuring system. Some procedures of on-line sample pretreatment in BIA are possible by changing the plastic tip of the automatic micropipette used for sample injection into a flow-through reactor, e.g. by packing it with a bed of a solid sorbent. This concept is employed in the voltammetric stripping determinations of trace metals using a bed of commercial chelating resin Chelex-100. It was found that, besides the electrochemical preconcentration of analytes in the form of amalgams on the surface of mercury thin film electrodes, an approximately 10-fold additional preconcentration can be achieved on the packed sorbent bed by using different volumes of aspirated sample solution and eluent. This procedure allows also efficient elimination of some matrix effects.     

Economic bismuth-film microsensor for anodic stripping analysis of trace heavy metals using differential pulse voltammetry

Stripping analysis has been widely recognised as a powerful tool in trace metal analysis. Its remarkable sensitivity is attributed to the combination of a preconcentration step coupled with pulse measurements that generate an extremely high signal-to-background ratio. Mercury-based electrodes have traditionally been used to achieve high reproducibility and sensitivity in the stripping technique. Because of the toxicity of mercury, however, new alternative electrode materials are highly desired, particularly for on-site monitoring. Use of thin films of bismuth deposited on platinum or glassy-carbon substrates has recently been proposed as a possible alternative to mercury—bismuth is “environmentally friendly”, of low toxicity, and is in widespread pharmaceutical use. In this paper the preparation of economic bismuth-film microelectrodes by electrodeposition on a copper substrate and their application to heavy metal analysis are described. Bismuth-film electrodes were prepared by potentiostatic electrodeposition. Optimum conditions for chemical and electrochemical deposition to obtain an adherent, reproducible, and robust deposit were determined. The suitability of such microelectrodes for analysis of heavy metals was evaluated by anodic stripping voltammetry of cadmium. The analytical performance of bismuth-film electrodes for anodic stripping voltammetry of heavy metals was evaluated for non-deaerated solutions containing Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions. Well-defined peaks with low background current were obtained by use of differential pulse voltammetry. Linear calibration plots were obtained for Cd²⁺ in acidified tap water at concentrations ranging from 2×10⁻⁸ to 1×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ and from 1×10⁻⁷ to 1×10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ with relative standard deviations of 5% (n=15) at the 1×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ level. The method was then successfully used to monitor the Cd²⁺content of plant extracts and validated by polarographic and ICP−MS measurements. These results open the possibility of using bismuth-coated copper electrodes as an alternative to mercury-based electrodes for analysis of heavy metals. The main problem remaining, which prevents on-site monitoring of heavy metals, is the need to use slightly acidic media, because formation of bismuth hydroxide on the film surface above pH 4.3 leads to non-reproducible measurements. Further experiments will be performed to discover whether electrode conditioning can be used to enable reproducible measurement in on-site monitoring of cadmium in natural waters. Moreover, further study should be conducted to evaluate the potential of BiFE for analysis of several pollutants of interest that are usually determined electrochemically by using mercury-based electrodes. Presented at the 9th FECS Conference on Chemistry and the Environment, Bordeaux , 29 August to 1 September, 2004     

Disposable Nafion-modified micro-fabricated bismuth-film sensors for voltammetric stripping analysis of trace metals in the presence of surfactants

This work is a study of the analytical utility of Nafion-modified microfabricated bismuth film electrodes (BiFEs) for the determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) in the presence of surfactants. Micro-fabricated BiFEs were prepared by depositing a thin film of bismuth on the surface of a silicon substrate by sputtering while the two-dimensional geometry of the final sensors was defined by photolithography. The BiFEs were further drop-coated with a Nafion film. These devices were applied to the determination of Pb(II) and Cd(II) by square wave ASV (SWASV) in the presence of Triton X-100 (a non-ionic surfactant), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) (a cationic surfactant) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) (an anionic surfactant). It was found that the presence of Nafion afforded an increase in sensitivity and the tolerance against surfactants but these properties were severely influenced by both the thickness of the Nafion film and the nature of the interfering surfactant. Using a Nafion of 0.4 μm thickness and 120 s of preconcentration, the repeatability (expressed as the % relative standard deviation on the same sensor (n = 8)) at the 20 μg l⁻¹ level was 3.8% for Pb(II) and 3.1% for Cd(II) and the limits of detection were 0.5 μg l⁻¹ for Cd(II) and Pb(II). The sensors were applied to Cd(II) and Pb(II) determination in a certified lake-water sample.     

Determination of trace metals in rain water by differential-pulse stripping voltammetry

Differential-pulse stripping voltammetry is applied to measure zinc, cadmium, lead and copper by anodic stripping and selenium(IV) by cathodic stripping in rain water at pH 2; subsequently, at pH 9,1, manganese is measured by anodic stripping on the same portion, and cobalt and nickel are measured in the adsorptive mode after formation of their dimethylglyoximates. The instrumental parameters are optimized. The linear ranges, mutual interferences and detection limits are studied. Excellent accuracy is demonstrated; the standard deviation is around 15% at 2.5–50 μg l^?1 levels. The method is shown to be applicable for rain water.     

Novel disposable bismuth-sputtered electrodes for the determination of trace metals by stripping voltammetry

This work describes a novel type of bismuth electrode for stripping voltammetry based on coating a silicon substrate with a thin bismuth film by means of sputtering. The bismuth-based sensors were characterized by optical methods (scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD)) and as well as by linear sweep voltammetry. Subsequently, the electrodes were tested for the detection of low concentrations of trace metals (Cd(II), Pb(II) and Ni(II)) by stripping voltammetry. Well-formed stripping peaks were observed for trace concentrations of the target analytes demonstrating “proof-of-principle” for these sensors. This type of electrochemical device, utilizing thin-film technology for the formation of the bismuth film, holds promise for future applications in trace metal analysis.     

A study of Nafion-coated bismuth-film electrodes for the determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry

This work reports on the fabrication, characterization and applications of Nafion-coated bismuth-film electrodes (NCBFE's) for the determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). A NCBFE was typically prepared by first applying a 5 microl drop of a 1% Nafion solution onto the surface of a glassy-carbon rotating-disk electrode. After evaporation of the solvent, the Bi film was plated on the electrode in situ(i.e. by spiking the sample with 1000 microg l(-1) of Bi(iii) and simultaneous electrolytic deposition of the metal ions and bismuth film on the electrode surface at -1.4 V) or ex-situ(i.e. by electrolytic deposition of the bismuth film in a separate solution containing 1000 microg l(-1) of Bi(iii), followed by the ASV measurement step in the sample solution). Various fabrication and operational parameters were thoroughly investigated and discussed in terms of their effect on the ASV signals. It was found that this voltammetric sensor was suitable for the determination of metals at trace levels by square-wave ASV (SWASV) due to its multi-element detection potential, improved analytical sensitivity, high resistance to surfactants, low cost, ease of fabrication, robustness, speed of analysis and low toxicity (as compared to traditional mercury electrodes). In the presence of 4 mg l(-1) of Triton X-100, the NCBFE afforded a 10-fold peak height enhancement for the Pb peak and a 14-fold enhancement for the Cd peak over a bare BFE while the determination of Zn was feasible only on the NCBFE. The limits of detection (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) were 0.1 microg l(-1) for Cd and Pb and 0.4 microg l(-1) for Zn for a deposition time of 10 min. Finally, the electrode was applied to different real samples (tap-water, urine and wine) for the analysis of trace metals with satisfactory results.     

Speciation of trace metals in seawater by anodic stripping voltammetry: Critical analytical steps

The speciation of trace metals in seawater based on the voltammetric (DPASV) titration of ligands by metal addition is considered. The method allows the determination of the total metal amount, the labile fraction, the ligand concentration and the related conditional stability constant. Analytical problems related to sample contaminations during sampling, filtration and storage, displacement of complexing equilibria in freeze storage, the kinetics of the reaction of complexation and the potential kinetic lability of organic complexes are discussed and possible solutions presented. Data on quality control tests carried out to verify the accuracy of the laboratory procedure for trace metal determination in seawater are reported.     

Determination of trace metals by anodic stripping voltammetry using a bismuth-modified carbon nanotube electrode

A bismuth-modified carbon nanotube electrode (Bi-CNT electrode) was employed for the determination of trace lead, cadmium and zinc. Bismuth film was prepared by in situ plating of bismuth onto the screen-printed CNT electrode. Operational parameters such as preconcentration potential, bismuth concentration, preconcentration time and rotation speed during preconcentration were optimized for the purpose of determining trace metals in 0.1M acetate buffer solution (pH 4.5). The simultaneous determination of lead, cadmium and zinc was performed by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. The Bi-CNT electrode presented well-defined, reproducible and sharp stripping signals. The peak current response increased linearly with the metal concentration in a range of 2-100 microg/L. The limit of detection was 1.3 microg/L for lead, 0.7 microg/L for cadmium and 12 microg/L for zinc (S/N=3). The Bi-CNT electrode was successfully applicable to analysis of trace metals in real environments.     

Application of galvanic stripping analysis to trace determination of tin

A simple, rapid and reliable procedure for the determination of tin by galvanic stripping analysis is described. The determination includes (i) preconcentration of tin onto preformed mercury film glassy carbon electrode, and (ii) re-oxidation in open-circuit position by advantageously utilizing the localized galvanic couple formation (in the absence of external electrical field or oxidant in solution). The details of the development of such a procedure and its application to the determination of tin in pure zinc materials are discussed.