Glassy-carbon amperometric transducers as electrochemical detectors in liquid chromatography The influence of oxygen

The electrochemical behaviour of oxygen on glassy-carbon electrodes and the suitability of this electrode material for electroreduction of organic compounds have been investigated. The observed oxygen overpotential on a glassy-carbon electrode was more negative than that on an amalgamated gold electrode, thus allowing the determination of easily reducible compounds such as polynitro-aromatics and quinones without the need for exhaustive removal of dissolved oxygen. The detection limits (3sigma) were about 0.2, 0.8, and 2.5 pmole for polynitro-aromatics, mononitro-aromatics and quinones, respectively. Though the glassy-carbon material has a negative-potential limit about 250 mV more positive than that for the amalgamated gold electrode, and requires a longer equilibration time before use, it is more convenient for routine use.     

Application of matrix solid-phase dispersion to the propham and maleic hydrazide determination in potatoes by differential pulse voltammetry and HPLC

The application of the matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) process as sample treatment in connection with the electrochemical detection is studied for the first time. For this purpose, a novel methodology is introduced for the extraction of propham and maleic hydrazide herbicides from potatoes samples based in the MSPD process prior to their electrochemical detection. Potato samples disruption was done by blending them with C₈ bonded-phase and selective herbicide extraction was achieved by successive treatment of the blended with 50 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.4 (for maleic hydrazide) and methanol (for propham). The extraction procedure efficiency was estimated using differential pulse voltammetry in potato samples spiked with the herbicides yielding recovery values of 98% and 68% for propham and maleic hydrazide, respectively. No significant adverse effect of the MSPD process was observed on the herbicides electrochemical signals. For comparison, recovery studies using HPLC with UV detection were carried out and a good correlation in the results obtained by using both techniques was observed.     

Determination of Maleic Hydrazide in Potato Samples Using Capillary Electrophoresis with Dual Detection (UV‐Electrochemical)

A new method for the separation of a mixture of different herbicides (propham, chlorpropham, asulam, metamitron, linuron, and maleic hydrazide) using MEKC is proposed. A base‐line separation for the mixture of herbicides is achieved in less than six minutes. The detection limits obtained for all the herbicides were lower than 1.0 μM using UV detection. This separation method was used for the determination of maleic hydrazide in potato samples. If a dual (UV‐electrochemical) detection system is employed, chlorpropham can be also detected. The results obtained showed that electrochemical detection was ten folds more sensitive than UV detection for maleic hydrazide. The detection limit of the proposed method for maleic hydrazide employing electrochemical detection was 1.3 μg g^?1, this value is lower than 50 μg g^?1, which is the maximum residue level permitted for this plant growth regulator in potato samples. The results obtained in the work clearly demonstrate the advantage of using electrochemical detection coupled to capillary electrophoresis, using this detection the concentration limits are not compromised by miniaturization and the components required are simple and inexpensive.     

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation and electrochemical detection of retinol and its isomers

Baseline separation of the isomers of retinol using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in less than 30 min is presented. A new approach to the detection of retinol using electrochemical detection is developed. The oxidative electrochemistry of retinol is studied at a glassy-carbon electrode using coulometry, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and HPLC. Amperometric detection in HPLC for retinol provided a linear response from 0 to 1.5 micrograms/ml and a detection limit of 4.1 ng/ml. Electrochemical detection was compared to ultraviolet-visible absorbance detection for the determination of retinol in human serum extracts. Good agreement is found for the results obtained with the two detectors.     

Voltammetry determination of dopamine by the electrocatalytic response of an electrode modified by a polyaniline film with an inclusion of copper(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine

A polyaniline composite film with an inclusion of copper(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine, applied on a glassy-carbon electrode (GC) has demonstrated a mediatory activity in the oxidation of dopamine in acidic and neutral media. The conditions for the formation of a polymer film on the surface of a glassy-carbon electrode for registering the maximum electrocatalytic effect in the oxidation of dopamine are found. A method of voltammetric and amperometric detection of dopamine on the composite film electrode under static and flow conditions is proposed. The use of a polyaniline composite with an inclusion of copper(II) tetrasulfophthalocyanine, coated with a Nafion film, made possible the reduction of the detection limit for dopamine to 1 × 10^?8 M under static conditions and to 5.0 nmol under the conditions of flow-injection analysis.     

Electrochemical detection of parathion at a glassy-carbon electrode modified with hexadecane

A modified electrode, based on a hexadecane (C(16))-coated glassy-carbon electrode (GCE) has been developed for the determination of parathion. The electrochemical behavior of parathion was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The peak potential and peak current were found to depend on the supporting electrolyte and the pH of the buffer solution. The reduction currents for parathion were proportional to parathion concentration over the range 8x10(-8)-2x10(-5) mol L(-1). The detection limit was 2x10(-8) mol L(-1) parathion for an accumulation time of 30 s. The effects of organic and inorganic species on the determination of parathion were also studied. A procedure was developed to extract parathion from spiked soil samples using a mixture of dichloromethane and acetone as the extraction solvent. The complete extraction and analytical procedure are simple, inexpensive and rapid. Parathion was determined in a soil sample by use of linear scan voltammetry (LSV).     

A comparison of glassy-carbon and carbon-polymer composite electrodes incorporated into electrochemical detection systems for high-performance liquid chromatography

A comparison has been made of the performance of a novel composite carbon-polymer electrode and a glassy-carbon electrode for use as working electrodes in an electrochemical detector for HPLC. The composite electrode was found to be comparable to the glassy-carbon electrode in terms of current response, superior in terms of cost, machinability, noise levels, stabilization time and accessible potential range, and inferior in terms of the potentials required for the oxidation of certain model compounds such as epinephrine and norepinephrine.     

Simple method for the simultaneous determination of acetylcholine, choline, noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in brain tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A simple method for the simultaneous determination of acetylcholine, choline, noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in brain tissue was developed by using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. These compounds are analysed in a single chromatographic run within 30 min with a simple sample clean-up procedure. The detection system consists of two electrochemical detector cells aligned in series: a glassy-carbon electrode for catecholamines and serotonin, and a platinum electrode for acetylcholine and choline. For the detection of the latter compounds, they were converted enzymatically into hydrogen peroxide through a column reactor with immobilized acetylcholinesterase and choline oxidase. A column of boronic acid gel was placed just ahead of the immobilized enzyme column to remove catecholamines, which caused interfering responses on the platinum electrode. Two equivalent analytical columns and a column switching were employed to speed up the serotonin assay. Simultaneous determination of these major neurotransmitters in rat brain regions was successfully carried out with the system described.     

Carbon-nanotube-modified glassy carbon electrodes for amplified label-free electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization

The preparation and attractive performance of carbon-nanotube modified glassy-carbon (CNT/GC) electrodes for improved detection of purines, nucleic acids, and DNA hybridization are described. The surface-confined multiwall carbon-nanotube (MWCNT) facilitates the adsorptive accumulation of the guanine nucleobase and greatly enhances its oxidation signal. The advantages of CNT/GC electrodes are illustrated from comparison to the common unmodified glassy carbon, carbon paste and graphite pencil electrodes. The dramatic amplification of the guanine signal has been combined with a label-free electrical detection of DNA hybridization. Factors influencing the enhancement of the guanine signal are assessed and optimized. The performance characteristics of the amplified label-free electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization are reported in connection to measurements of nucleic-acid segments related to the breast-cancer BRCA1 gene.     

Determination of copper and cadmium by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrochemical and sorption preconcentration

A method is proposed for the determination of copper and cadmium by atomic absorption spectrometry in a propane-butane-air flame with electrochemical and sorption preconcentration. Electrochemical preconcentration was performed on metal (tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, and platinum), glassy-carbon, and spectrographic graphite electrodes. Sorption preconcentration was performed on filter paper with immobilized dithizone, 8-hydroxyquinoline, and rubeanic acid. It is demonstrated that copper and cadmium can be determined in water within the concentration range 1–10 ώg/L.     

A glassy-carbon electrode modified by dispersed alpha-alumina as an enhanced electrochemical detector in liquid chromatography for cysteine and glutathione

The dispersion of alumina particles on a glassy-carbon surface serving as a modified electrode significantly enhances the amperometric detection of cysteine and glutathione following liquid chromatography. With an applied potential of 0.8 V vs. SCE, the detection limits were 1.2 ng for cysteine and 8 ng for glutathione and the electrode response was linear up to 600 ng for cysteine and 1.8 mug for glutathione. The modified electrode displayed high sensitivity and stability and was easy and inexpensive to prepare.     

Sensitive determination of paraquat and diquat at the sub-ng ml-1 level by continuous amperometric flow methods.

Two methodologies are described for the determination of paraquat and diquat. The first is based on the pre-treatment of an electrode with a surfactant solution, which improves the electrochemical determination of the herbicides. Linear calibration graphs were obtained in the ranges 10-80 and 10-100 ng ml-1 for paraquat and diquat, respectively. The limits of detection were 6.32 for paraquat and 4.80 ng ml-1 for diquat. The method was applied to the determination of the herbicides in synthetic water samples. The second methodology is based on the preconcentration of paraquat and diquat in a minicolumn packed with a cation-exchange material. The determination ranges and detection limits depend on the sample volume used (5-50 ml). Thus, 50 ml of sample provides limits of detection of 0.016 and 0.020 ng ml-1 for paraquat and diquat, respectively. The applicability of the method was demonstrated with the determination of the herbicides in both synthetic and real water samples.     

Electrochemical study of carminomycin at solid electrodes

The electrochemical behaviour of carminomycin at carbon-paste, glassy-carbon and composite carbon—polymer electrodes has been compared. Three electroactive sites on the molecule have been identified. Two sites are involved in the oxidation processes, the first corresponding to the hydroquinone structure in the C-6/C-11 positions, the second attributed to the C-4 phenolic function. Applying a negative-going scan allows reduction of the quinone moiety in the C-5/C-12 positions. Both the quinone and hydroquinone functions exhibit quasi-reversible electrochemical reactions in acidic medium, becoming irreversible in alkaline solution. Adsorption phenomena accompany both the oxidation and reduction processes, primarily in neutral and alkaline media. The adsorption can be decreased by using the composite electrode, which is less sensitive to surface phenomena. This working electrode is proposed as the most suitable for the determination of carminomycin at pH 1. A linear calibration plot can be obtained over the range 1 × 10⁻⁶-1 × 10⁻⁴M, with a limit of detection of 6 × 10⁻⁸M.     

Simultaneous HPLC determination of phenylurea herbicides and their corresponding anilines in water after on-line preconcentration

On-line preconcentration on a short C₁₈ column, prior to HPLC with UV and electrochemical detection, has been used for determination of some phenylurea herbicides and their possible degradation products, substituted anilines, in water samples. With electrochemical detection the detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was 5 ppt for 4-chloroaniline and 4-bromoaniline and 7 ppt for 3,4-dichloroaniline; with UV detection the detection limit was ca 300 ppt for all analytes.     

Electrochemical coding technology for simultaneous detection of multiple DNA targets

Nucleic-acid hybridization assays based on the use of different inorganic-colloid (quantum dots) nanocrystal tracers for the simultaneous electrochemical measurements of multiple DNA targets are described. Three encoding nanoparticles (zinc sulfide, cadmium sulfide, and lead sulfide) are used to differentiate the signals of three DNA targets in connection to stripping-voltammetric measurements of the heavy metal dissolution products. These products yield well-defined and resolved stripping peaks at -1.12 V (Zn), -0.68 V (Cd), and -0.53 V (Pb) at the mercury-coated glassy-carbon electrode (vs Ag/AgCl reference). The position and size of these peaks reflect the identity and level of the corresponding DNA target. The multi-target detection capability is coupled to the amplification feature of stripping voltammetry (to yield femtomole detection limits) and with an efficient magnetic removal of nonhybridized nucleic acids to offer high sensitivity and selectivity. The protocol is illustrated for the simultaneous detection of three DNA sequences related to the BCRA1 breast-cancer gene in a single sample in connection to magnetic beads bearing the corresponding oligonucleotide probes. The new electrochemical coding is expected to bring new capabilities for DNA diagnostics, and for bioanalysis, in general.     

Voltammetric determination of nicotinic acid by glassy-carbon electrode modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes

A glassy-carbon electrode modified with a thin film of multiwall carbon nanotubes is used for the determination of nicotinic acid (NA). At the electrode, the latter yields a well-defined and very sensitive oxidation peak at 0.21 V (SCE). Investigation of the electrochemical behavior of NA shows that the electrode significantly enhances the NA oxidation peak current, compared with the non-modified electrode. Based on this, a very sensitive and simple electrochemical method is proposed for the NA determination after the optimization of all experimental parameters. The oxidation peak current is proportional to the NA concentration over the range 2×10⁻⁷ to 4×10⁻⁵ M, and the detection limit is 8×10⁻⁸ M after a 4-min accumulation. The relative standard deviation of 5.4% for the successive determination of 1×10⁻⁶ MNA (n=10) indicates excellent reproducibility. The analysis method is successfully demonstrated using tablet samples. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2006, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 190–195. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Amperometric detection at a carbon-fibre array ring/glassy-carbon disk electrode in a wall-jet cell

A wall-jet cell incorporating a carbon fibre array ring/glassy-carbon disk electrode has been constructed, and characterized by the cyclic voltammetry and flow-injection techniques. The ring (composed of several microdisks) and glassy-carbon disk electrode, can be used separately for different purposes, e.g., detection in solution without a supporting electrolyte, collection/shielding detection with dual-electrode and voltammetric/amperometric detection with series dual-electrode. The electrode shows better collection and shielding effects than the usual ring-disk electrode in quiescent solution and the series dual-electrode in a thin-layer flow-through cell. The detection limit at the ring electrode is comparable with that at a conventional-size electrode, and has been used in the mobile phase without a supporting electrolyte, proving to be a promising detector for normal-phase liquid chromatography.     

Determination of cadmium, lead and copper in milk and milk powder by means of flow potentiometric stripping analysis

A flow potentiometric stripping analysis procedure for the determination of cadmium, lead and copper in milk and milk powder samples is described. The instrumental arrangement consists of a glassy-carbon thin-layer cell through which six different solutions may be drawn by means of a peristaltic pump and magnetically operated valves. The glassy-carbon electrode is pre-coated with a film of mercury which can be employed for several analytical runs. The sample, diluted five-fold with Suprapur hydrochloric acid, is electrolysed for 0.5–4 min prior to stripping in Suprapur hydrochloric acid. Pump-rate, electrolysis time and potential, opening and closing of inlet valves and digital evaluation of stripping times are controlled automatically by the computer. The analytical results agree satisfactorily with the certified values for three milk powder reference samples. The detection limit for cadmium, lead and copper in milk samples after 4, 1 and 0.5 min of pre-electrolysis is 0.8, 4 and 8 μg/l., respectively. An analytical procedure for the determination of lead in samples containing high concentrations of tin is described.     

Amperometric flow-injection analysis of hydrazine by electrocatalytic oxidation at cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin modified electrode with heat treatment

Chemically modified electrodes prepared by treating the cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin modified glassy-carbon electrode at 750 degrees (HCME) are shown to catalyze the electrooxidation of hydrazine. The oxidation occurred at +0.63 V vs. Ag/AgCl (saturated potassium chloride) in pH 2.5 media. The catalytic response is evaluated with respect to solution pH, potential scan-rate, concentration dependence and flow-rate. The catalytic stability of the HCME is compared with that of the cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin adsorbed glassy-carbon electrode. The stability of the HCME was excellent in acidic solution and even in solutions containing organic solvent (50% CH(3)OH). When used as the sensing electrode in amperometric detection in flow-injection analysis, the HCME permitted sensitive detection of hydrazine at 0.5 V. The limit of detection was 0.1 ng. The linear range was from 50 ng to 2.4 mug. The method is very sensitive and selective.