Influence of sulfide and cyanide ions on the electrochemical behavior of the Fe(II)/Fe(Hg) system in thiocyanate solutions at mercury electrodes

The reduction and reoxidation processes of the Fe(II)/Fe(Hg) system in thiocyanate solutions at stationary mercury electrodes have been investigated by cyclic voltammetric, anodic stripping and controlled potential electrolysis methods. In 0.1 M NaSCN and 0.4 M NaClO₄ solution containing 1×10^?3M Fe(II), the voltammogram on the first cycle at. 0.05 V s^?1 gives two consecutive cathodic peaks near ?1.2 and ?1.39 V with a hysteresis on the reversal, and an anodic wave with two large peaks near ?0.58 and ?0.05 V and two small peaks near ?0.52 and ?0.43 V, respectively. The multicyclic voltammogram under the same conditions in the potential region between 0.00 and ?1.50 V gives a cathodic wave with a principal peak near ?1.02 V and two small peaks near ?0.02 and ?0.53 V, respectively, and an anodic wave with a principal peak near ?0.72 V, three small peaks near ?0.64, ?0.52 and ?0.40 V, and with a shoulder near ?0.05 V, respectively. The variation of the shape of the voltammogram on the second and subsequent runs is due to the formation of S^2? and CN^? during the process of electroreduction of Fe(II). A mechanism is proposed which involves an initial reduction of Fe(II)?SCN^? produced in an activation step at a mercury electrode, followed by the chemical redox reaction of a part of Fe(0)?SCN^? in the species giving FeS and CN^?, and takes into account the influence of FeS and CN^? on the further reduction and reoxidation of iron. Both FeS and CN^? stimulate further reduction, and reoxidation of iron. The hysteresis of the cathodic wave on the first cycle arises from the fact that Fe(II) is reduced more easily at the mercury electrode covered with FeS than at a pure mercury electrode.     

Mechanism of electroreduction of cobalt(II) in thiocyanate solutions at mercury electrodes

The process of electroreduction of cobalt(II) in thiocyanate solutions at mercury electrodes has been investigated by cyclic voltammetric, chronoamperometric and polarographic methods. The influences of pH, the concentrations of Co(II) and SCN^?, and the reduction products of SCN^?, CN^? and S^2? on the reduction waves are described. The polarographic pre-wave is an autocatalytic in nature. A mechanism involving an initial reduction of Co(II)—SCN^? at a mercury electrode followed by the chemical reduction of thiocyanate ion with the electroreduced metallic cobalt, and taking into account cyanide, sulfide, and hydroxide ions, the latter being produced by the hydrolysis of cyanide ion, is presented. Cobalt sulfide adsorbed at the electrode surface stimulates further reduction of Co(II)—CN^? and —SCN^? complexes, and depresses the interfering influence of Co(OH)₂, which is reductively desorbed from the electrode surface with giving rise to an additional peak near ?1.08 V vs. SCE.     

A polarographic and voltammetric study of some primary,secondary and tertiary thioamides of pharmaceutical importance

The d.c. polarographic, and cyclic and cathodic stripping voltammetric behaviour of some primary, secondary and tertiary thioamides based on tetrahydroquinoline, is described. Catalytic reduction occurs in all cases; the primary and secondary thioamides undergo anodic oxidation and cathodic stripping, with the formation of mercury(II) sulphide. Tertiary thioamides are not amenable to anodic electrolysis/stripping. Mechanisms for these oxidation and reduction processes are postulated. Differential pulse polarography has a limit of detection of 5 × 10^?7 M. Cathodic stripping voltammetry can be applied with a detection limit of 2 × 10^?8 M.     

Voltammetric Determination of Tin(II) and Iron(II) on Mechanically Renewed Graphite Electrode in Tin-Plating Electrolyte

The analytical properties of the cathodic peak of tin(II) reduction and the anodic peak of iron(II) oxidation on a graphite electrode were studied with the electrode surface mechanically renewed directly in a solution before applying a potential in each measurement. The influence of the organic components of the phenolsulfonic tin-plating electrolyte on the cathodic current of tin(II) reduction and anodic current of iron(II) oxidation was studied. A dc voltammetric method was proposed for determining tin(II) directly in the phenolsulfonic tin-plating electrolyte, and iron(II) after the electrolyte is diluted tenfold with a 0.5M H₂SO₄ supporting solution.     

Kinetics of the hydrogen electrode reactions of platinum in the NaHSO4 + KHSO4 eutectic melt

The kinetics of the hydrogen electrode reactions on Pt in the NaHSO₄ + KHSO₄ melt at ca. 185°C is studied. Under potentiodynamic conditions both the anodic and cathodic processes can be interpreted with the hydrogen electrode reaction mechanism already known. At potentials more negative than 0.1 V (vs. Ag/Ag⁺ (0.06 M)) the mechanism of the cathodic reaction changes because of a sulphide species formed on the electrode which is produced by a reduction of the melt components.     

Electrochemistry of electropolymerized tetra (p-aminophenyl)porphyrin nickel film electrode and catalytic oxidation of acetaminophen

A polymer film of tetra(p-aminophenyl) porphyrin nickel was obtained at a glassy carbon electrode by a cyclic voltammetric method. Cyclic voltammograms of the film electrode exhibited two stable redox waves with anodic peak potential at 0.43V and cathodic peak potential at 0.30 V in 0.5M NaOH aqueous solution. The electrocatalytic characteristics of the film electrode were studied by cyclic voltammetry, a. c. impedance analysis and other methods. The oxidation peak current increased linearly with the addition of acetaminophen to the aqueous NaOH medium in the range 1 × 10^–6–2 × 10^–4 M acetaminophen. The performance of the electrode was verified by the determination of acetaminophen in a paracetamol preparation.     

Voltammetry of a Novel Antimycobacterial Agent 1‐Hydroxy‐N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)naphthalene‐2‐carboxamide in a Single Drop of a Solution

The aim of this study is the development of a miniaturized voltammetric method for the determination of an antimycobacterial agent 1‐hydroxy‐N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)naphthalene‐2‐carboxamide (HNN) in a single drop (20 μL) of a solution by cathodic and anodic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate its redox properties followed by the optimization of differential pulse voltammetric determination in a regular 10 mL volume. The optimal medium for the analytical application of both cathodic and anodic voltammetry was found to be Britton‐Robinson buffer pH 7.0 and dimethyl sulfoxide (9 : 1, v/v). HNN gave one cathodic peak at around −0.6 V and one anodic peak at around +0.2 V vs. Ag|AgCl (3 mol L⁻¹ KCl) reference electrode. Determination of HNN in a 10 mL volume gave the limit of quantification around 10 nmol L⁻¹ by both adsorptive stripping anodic and cathodic voltammetry. Afterwards, miniaturized voltammetric methods in a single drop of solution (20 μL) were investigated. This approach requested some modifications of the cell design and voltammetric procedures. A novel method of removing dissolved oxygen in a single drop had to be developed and tested. Developed miniaturized voltammetric methods gave parameters comparable to the determination of HNN in 10 mL. The applicability of the miniaturized method was verified by the determination of HNN in a drop of a bacterial growth medium.     

Determination of trace thiocyanate by linear sweep polarography

In a thiocyanate solution containing iron (II), nitrite and ascorbic acid, a linear-sweep polarographic wave appears at ?0.42 V (vs. SCE). In anodic sweeps, the derivative peak current is directly proportional to the concentration of thiocyanate over the range 2×10^?8?1×10^?6 M; the detection limit is 1×10^?8 M. The procedure is used for the determination of trace thiocyanate (10^?3?10^?4 M) in saliva. The mechanism of the electrode process is discussed; the polarographic wave is ascribed to catalytic reduction of dissolved oxygen in the presence of an adsorbed ternary Fe/SCN/NO complex.     

Characteristics of a new catalytic hydrogen current observed with albumin in the presence of cobalt(III) or (II) at the hanging mercury drop electrode

When the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) is placed in a solution which is 0.1 M in ammonia and 0.1 M in ammonium chloride and about 5 to 10×10^?4M in cobalt(III)-hexamine or cobalt(II) chloride and in very small concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA), the protein is slowly adsorbed. When the adsorption is highly incomplete and the HMDE is kept for 30 s at about ?1.05 V vs. SCE, “active cobalt’ is deposited as a complex (Co(0)BSA). This is anodically oxidized at about 0.0 V to unstable Co(I)BSA). When the electrode is then rapidly (500 mV s^?1) cathodized, a catalytic hydrogen current (i_c) with peak at circa ?1.45 V is observed. In this way it is even possible to detect and estimate BSA in concentrations of the order of 10^?12M. A detailed study has been made of the characteristics of i_c under several conditions. “Active cobalt” on the HMDE does not affect Brdi?ka currents. Cystine and cysteine also yield the catalytic hydrogen current i_c under the same conditions as does BSA.     

Square-wave cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric determination of trace amounts of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole in water samples

A sensitive, simple and reproducible square-wave cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetric method is developed for the determination of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBIM) in different water samples using a static mercury drop electrode (SMDE) as a working electrode. The solution conditions and instrumental parameters were optimized for the determination of MBIM by square-wave cathodic adsorptive stripping voltammetry. This method is based on a sensitive adsorptive reduction peak of the MBIM at ?0.532 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode in a Britton-Robinson buffer at pH 10.0. The linear concentration range was 20–600 ng ml^?1 when using 0.0 V as the accumulation potential. The detection limit of the method was calculated to be 8.41 ng ml^?1. The precision was excellent with relative standard deviations (n = 20) of 2.30%, 1.71%, 2.25% and 1.33% at MBIM concentrations of 40, 90, 200 and 500 ng ml^?1, respectively. The proposed voltammetric method is used for the determination of MBIM in different spiked water samples.     

Stripping voltammetric determination of traces of peptides and proteins containing disulphide linkages

Stripping voltammetry has been investigated for the determination of traces of ribonuclease, somatostatin, oxytocin, felypressin, insulin and oxidized glutathione at concentrations down to 1.5 × 10^?9 M. Repeated cyclic potential scans with an initial cathodic scan were used after accumulation at +0.1 to –0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl at a hanging mercury drop electrode. In presence of excess of copper(II) ion, the first two compounds yield a well-defined peak couple at ?0.5 to ?0.6 V, with cathodic and anodic peaks of equal height, the accumulated product being adsorbed in both its oxidized and reduced state. Oxytocin and felypressin first yield two unresolved cathodic peaks, one of which disappears in the second scan cycle. Oxidized glutathione yields a large cathodic peak but a small anodic peak because of desorption in the reduced state. Excess of copper(II) is reduced during the accumulation, so that the electrode is actually copper amalgam. The peaks obtained with copper(II) present are considered to be due to redox reactions of copper complexes formed with the cysteine parts of the molecules. These peaks are suitable for quantitative purposes; calibration equations are given. Without copper(II), the substances show stripping responses of different complexity and magnitude. Insulin gives usable stripping peaks only without copper ions.     

Voltammetric behaviour of copper(iii) and its analytical applications

Copper(II) and copper(III) complexes with periodate or tellurate ligands are electroactive at a smooth platinum electrode, giving an anodic, cathodic or cathanodic wave in the presence of alkaline hydroxide solutions containing copper(II), copper(III), or copper(II)-copper(III) species, respectively. The corresponding limiting currents are diffusion-controlled. The following analytical applications are proposed: (a) amperometric titration of copper(III) solutions; (b) voltammetric determination of copper. Results of amperometric titrations of copper(III) were similar to those by an established procedure. Voltammetry of copper(II) allows the metal to be determined down to concentrations of 1·10^-5M, even in the presence of different ions; the procedure can be applied to such heat-transfer media for nuclear reactors as sodium and potassium metals and their hydroxides.     

Stripping Voltammetry of Mercury(II) with a Chemically Modified Carbon Paste Electrode Containing Silica Gel Functionalized with 2,5‐Dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole

The accumulation voltammetry of mercury(II) was investigated at a carbon paste electrode chemically modified with silica gel functionalized with 2,5‐dimercapto‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole (DTTPSG‐CPE). The repetitive cyclic voltammogram of mercury(II) solution in the potential range ?0.2 to +0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), (0.02 mol L^?1 KNO₃ ; v=20 mV s^?1) show two peaks one at about 0.0 V and other at 0.31 V. However, the cathodic wave peak, around 0.0 V, is irregular and changes its form in each cycle. This peak at about 0.0 V is the reduction current for mercury(II) accumulated in the DTTPSG‐CPE. The anodic wave peak at 0.31 V is well‐defined and does not change during the cycles. The resultant material was characterized by cyclic and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry performed with the electrode in differents supporting electrolytes. The mercury response was evaluated with respect to pH, electrode composition, preconcentration time, mercury concentration, “cleaning” solution, possible interferences and other variables. The precision for six determinations (n=6) of 0.05 and 0.20 mg L^?1 Hg(II) was 2.8 and 2.2% (relative standard deviation), respectively. The method was satisfactory and used to determine the concentration of mercury(II) in natural waters contaminated by this metal.     

Voltammetric Studies on the Electrochemical Reduction of Methylmercury in HCl Aqueous Medium at a Carbon Microelectrode

Fast scan voltammetry applied to methylmercury in chloride medium at a carbon fiber microelectrode has shown two cathodic peaks located at ?0.45 and ?1.1 V and a single anodic peak at ?0.33 V (vs. Ag|AgCl). It was concluded that the reoxidation process, at high sweep rates, in acidic media behaves as a reversible one‐electron transfer process coupled to a chemical reaction, with the reaction product weakly adsorbed. Good linear calibration plots for the methylmercury determinations in the concentration range from 75 to 300 μM, have been obtained using the currents of the anodic peak measured on the CVs recorded, at 10 V s^?1, at a carbon fiber microelectrode, in a stationary solution of methylmercury chloride. Data have shown that the carbon microelectrode, cycled continuously in the analyte, can replace the dropping mercury electrode (DME), with the advantages that the carbon microelectrode is a promising tool for further studies in high resistive media, such as in natural waters.     

Determination of inorganic ionic mercury down to 5×10−14 mol l−1 by differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

A new method is described for the reliable and ultrasensitive determination of inorganic ionic mercury, using differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry on a glassy carbon electrode. It has been possible to determine mercury down to a concentration of 5×10^–14 moll^-1 (the lowest detection limit ever reported for a voltammetric method). This success was achieved by using a thiocyanate electrolyte and relatively long deposition times. The mercury ions are stabilized in the solution by the formation of strong thiocyanate complexes. This leads to a highly reproducible cathodic plating and anodic dissolution of mercury. A speciation analysis allowing to distinguish between dissolved atomic and ionic mercury in water is possible.     

Determination of cobalt in plant digests by adsorption stripping voltammetry

The procedure involves adsorption of cobalt onto a static mercury drop as its dimethylgloximate complex (pH 9.3, adsorption potential ?0.70 V, adsorption time 2 min), followed by a d.c. cathodic scan, effecting reduction at ?1.15 V (SCE). Of the dominant electroactive trace elements in plants (Mn, Fe, Zn), only zinc interfered; it was masked by nitrolotriacetic acid (2 × 10^?4 M). The detection limit is 0.01 μg l^?1 cobalt in the digest; the relative standard deviation is 2.5% at 0.75 μg l^?1. Calibration is linear in the range 0–6.0 μg l^?1 cobalt. Results obtained by the voltammetric method, by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and neutron activation analysis are compared for seven pasture samples containing 0.1–0.2 mg kg ^?1 cobalt. The activation method provides validation for the same preparation and voltammetric results.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Ibuprofen and Its Voltammetric Determination at a Boron‐Doped Diamond Electrode

The electrochemical oxidation of ibuprofen at a boron‐doped diamond electrode (BDDE) and its voltammetric determination is reported for the first time. A well‐defined oxidation peak was observed at around 1.6 V in 0.1 mol L^?1 H₂SO₄ solution with 10 % (v/v) ethanol at the BDDE surface activated by either cathodic or anodic pretreatments. A differential‐pulse voltammetric method for the determination of ibuprofen in pharmaceutical formulations was optimized with a detection limit of 5 µmol L^?1 and compared with the British Pharmacopeia method.     

Square wave anodic stripping voltammetric determination of lead(II) using a glassy carbon electrode modified with a lead ionophore and multiwalled carbon nanotubes

We report on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a lead ionophore and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. It can be applied to square wave anodic stripping voltammetric determination of Pb(II) ion after preconcentration of Pb(II) at ?1.0?V (vs. SCE) for 300?s in pH?4.5 acetate buffer containing 400?μg?L^?1 of Bi(III). The ionophore-MWCNTs film on the GCE possesses strong and highly selective affinity for Pb(II) as confirmed by quartz crystal microbalance experiments. Under the optimum conditions, a linear response was observed for Pb(II) ion in the range from 0.3 to 50?μg?L^?1. The limit of detection (at S/N?=?3) is 0.1?μg?L^?1. The method was applied to the determination of Pb(II) in water samples with acceptable recovery.

The oscillopolarographic determination of uranium and thorium in supporting electrolytes containing cupferron

Uranium(VI and IV) and thorium(IV) give cathodic indentations in supporting electrolytes prepared from 0.1M perchloric acid, 0.5 M ammonium thiocyanate and 5·10^-3M cupferron (solution A) or from 0.1 M succinic-succinate buffer pH 4, 0.1 M sodium chloride, 10^-3M cupferron and 0.05% gelatine (solution B). The uranium indentation on the dE/dt = f(E) curve (Q=0.75 and 0.73) permits its detection at the 3·10^-7M level. The thorium indentation (Q=0.78) permits its detection at the 4·10^-7M level in solution B. Methods for the elimination of interfering ions for the uranium determination are described. In the determination of thorium, Ga(III), Fe(III), Ti(IV) and U(VI) interfere.     

Anodic behavior of gold in acid thiourea solutions: A cyclic voltammetry and quartz microgravimetry study

It is shown that at potentials E < 0.5 V (NHE) gold undergoes practically no dissolution in thiourea solutions containing no catalytically active species. The dissolution at a perceptible rate (> 100 μA cm^?2) starts at E ≥ 0.65 V, with the primary process being the oxidation of thiourea, which gives rise a current peak at E ? 1.0 V. The thiourea oxidation at E ≥ 1.1 produces the appearance of catalytically active species, which drastically accelerate the gold dissolution process in the potential region extending from a steady-state value to 0.6 V, where the current efficiency for gold approaches 100% and a peak emerges at E ? 0.55 V. The peak’s height is commensurate with the value of the limiting diffusion current associated with the ligand supply. The species in question make no discernible impact on the thiourea oxidation process. Formamidine disulfide, which forms during the anodic oxidation of thiourea or which is added in solution on purpose, exerts no noticeable catalytic influence on the anodic gold dissolution. The catalytically active species is presumably the S^2? ion, product of decomposition and deep oxidation of thiourea and formamidine disulfide. Indeed, adding sulfide ions in solution has a strong catalytic effect on the gold dissolution, whose character is identical to that of the effect exerted by products of anodic oxidation of thiourea at E ≥ 1.1 V μA cm^?2.