Measurement of alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in individual mouse bone marrow fibroblast cells based on capillary electrophoresis with on-capillary enzyme-catalyzed reaction and electrochemical detection

A novel method for the determination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) isoenzymes in individual fibroblast cells of mouse bone marrow was developed by combining capillary electrophoresis with an on-capillary enzyme-catalyzed reaction and electrochemical detection. In this method, a single an cell, followed by 5.0 x 10(-2) mol/L Na2B4O7- 3.0 x 10(-2) mol/L NaCl (pH 9.8) as cell lysis solution, was injected into the inlet of the separation capillary by electromigration. The cell was lysed by applying a voltage of 2 kV. The ALP isoenzymes in the cell were preseparated at 20 kV for 1 min, and then allowed to react for 30 min with disodium phenyl phosphate as enzyme substrate in the running buffer. ALP converted disodium phenyl phosphate into its product, phenol, at a relatively high reaction rate without consumption, with resultant amplification of the signal on prolonged reaction time, producing an adequate amount of product for final detection. A mass detection limit as low as 3.5 x 10(-21) mol/L (corresponding to 1.5 nU) was achieved. Finally, the two zones of products generated by ALP isoenzymes were detected at the outlet of the capillary by using the end-capillary amperometric detection at a carbon fiber microdisk bundle electrode with a constant potential.     

Determination of puerarin and daidzein in Puerariae radix and its medicinal preparations by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with electrochemical detection

The use of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) with electrochemical detection is described for the determination of puerarin and daidzein in Puerariae radix and its medicinal preparations. Operated in a wall-jet configuration, a 300 μm diameter carbon-disk electrode was used as the working electrode, which exhibits good responses at +900 mV (versus SCE) for the two analytes. Under the optimum conditions, the analytes were base-line separated within 11 min in a sodium dodecyl sulphate—borax (pH 7.8) running buffer, and excellent linearity was obtained in the concentration range from 5.0×10⁻⁴ to 5.0×10⁻⁶ mol/l. The detection limit (S/N=3) was 6×10⁻⁷ and 1.1×10⁻⁶ mol/l for puerarin and daidzein, respectively. This work provides a useful method for the analysis of traditional Chinese medicines.     

Simultaneous UV and electrochemical determination of the herbicide asulam in tap water samples by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

A simple end-column electrochemical detector was designed and attached to an available commercial capillary electrophoresis instrument with UV detection to detect different kind of herbicides and to determinate methyl-4-aminophenyl-sulfonylcarbamate (asulam) in water samples. The designed cell is very easy to assemble and disassemble in a short period of time; the working electrode positioning is also quickly achieved without micropositioners. The alignment between working electrode and capillary outlet was very reproducible for the all checked electrodes; the R.S.D. obtained was lower than 6.0% for 100 μm gap distance. In this mode, the non-electroactive and electroactive compounds could be detected by UV and electrochemical detection, respectively at the same time. The electrochemical determination of asulam using micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) is the first time that is reported. In both detection systems, a linear range was obtained for asulam concentrations lower than 25.0 mg l⁻¹, in boric acid 0.020 mol l⁻¹ at pH 8.20 and containing 0.025 mol l⁻¹ of sodium dodecyl sulfate, to obtain selectivity additional separation by the micellar distribution process. Under these conditions, an experimental detection limit of 0.4 mg l⁻¹ was achieved. A new experimental scheme is also described for asulam determination in tap waters with a previous preconcentration step. Using both, UV and electrochemical detection, with a previous extraction procedure, the detection limits of asulam in tap water samples were of 1.0 and 0.8 μg l⁻¹, respectively.     

Separation of six purine bases by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

Capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection (ED) has been employed for the separation and determination of adenine (A), guanine (G), theophylline (Thp), hypoxanthine (HX), xanthine (Xan) and uric acid (UA). Effects of several important factors such as the acidity and concentration of running buffer, separation voltage, injection time and detection potential were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions. The detection electrode was a 300 μm carbon disc electrode at a working potential of +0.95 V (versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE)). The six purine bases can be well separated within 14 min in a 40 cm length fused-silica capillary at a separation voltage of 10 kV in a 100 mmol/l borate buffer (BB, pH 10.0). The current response was linear over about three orders of magnitude with detection limits (S/N=3) ranging from 0.157×10⁻⁶ to 0.767×10⁻⁶ mol/l for all compounds. The proposed method was successfully applied to determine Thp in tea and aminophylline tablets, UA in human urine, and two purine bases in DNA.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation and detection of hydrazine at gold electrode modified with iron phthalocyanine complex linked to mercaptopyridine self-assembled monolayer

Electrocatalytic oxidation and detection of hydrazine in pH 7.0 conditions were studied by using gold electrode modified with self-assembled monolayer (SAM) films of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) complex axially ligated to a preformed 4-mercaptopyridine SAMs. The anodic oxidation of hydrazine in neutral pH conditions with FePc-linked-mercaptopyridine-SAM-modified gold electrode occurred at low overpotential (0.35 V versus Ag|AgCl) and the treatment of the voltammetric data showed that it was a pure diffusion-controlled reaction with the involvement of one electron in the rate-determining step. The mechanism for the interaction of hydrazine with the FePc-SAM is proposed to involve the Fe^(III)Pc/Fe^(II)Pc redox process. Using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Osteryoung square wave voltammetry (OSWV), hydrazine was detected over a linear concentration range of 1.3 × 10⁻⁵ to 9.2 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L with low limits of detection (ca. 5 and 11 μM for OSWV and CV, respectively). At concentrations higher than 1.2 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L the anodic peak potential shifted to 0.40 V (versus Ag|AgCl), and this was interpreted to be due to kinetic limitations resulting from the saturation of hydrazine and its oxidation products onto the redox-active monolayer film. This type of metallophthalocyanine-SAM-based electrode is a highly promising electrochemical sensor given its ease of fabrication, good catalytic activity, stability, sensitivity and simplicity.     

Biosensor for multiplex detection of two DNA target sequences using enzyme-functionalized Au nanoparticles as signal amplification

Multiplex electrochemical detection of two DNA target sequences in one sample using enzyme-functionalized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) as catalytic labels for was proposed. This DNA sensor was fabricated using a “sandwich” detection strategy, involving two kinds of capture probes DNA immobilized on glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and hybridization with target DNA sequences, which further hybridized with the reporter DNA loaded on the AuNPs. The AuNP contained two kinds of DNA sequences, one was complementary to the target DNA, while the other was noncomplementary to the target. The noncomplementary sequences were linked with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), respectively. Enhanced detection sensitivity was obtained where the AuNPs carriers increased the amount of enzyme molecules per hybridization. Electrochemical signals were generated from the enzymatic products produced from the substrates catalyzed by HRP and ALP. Under optimal conditions, a 33-mer sequence could be quantified over the ranges from 1.5 × 10⁻¹³ to 5.0 × 10⁻¹² M with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻¹³ M using HRP-AuNP as labels, and a 33-mer sequence could be quantified over the ranges from 4.5 × 10⁻¹¹ M to 1.0 × 10⁻⁹ M with a detection limit of 1.2 × 10⁻¹¹ M using ALP-AuNP as labels.     

Electrochemical behaviors of guanosine on carbon ionic liquid electrode and its determination

The electrochemical behaviors of guanosine on the ionic liquid of N-butylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate (BPPF₆) modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) was studied in this paper and further used for guanosine detection. Guanosine showed an adsorption irreversible oxidation process on the carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) with the oxidation peak potential located at 1.12 V (vs. SCE) in a pH 4.5 Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer solution. Compared with that on the traditional carbon paste electrode, small shift of the oxidation peak potentials appeared but with a great increment of the oxidation peak current on the CILE, which was due to the presence of ionic liquid in the modified electrode adsorbed the guanosine on the surface and promoted the electrochemical response. The electrochemical parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α), the electron transfer number (n), and the electrode reaction standard rate constant (k_s) were calculated as 0.74, 1.9 and 1.26 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹, respectively. Under the optimal conditions the oxidation peak current showed a good linear relationship with the guanosine concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol/L by cyclic voltammetry with the detection limit of 2.61 × 10⁻⁷ mol/L (3σ). The common coexisting substances showed no interferences to the guanosine oxidation. The CILE showed good ability to distinguish the electrochemical response of guanosine and guanine in the mixture solution. The urine samples were further detected by the proposed method with satisfactory results.     

An electrochemical immunosensor based on enzyme-encapsulated liposomes and biocatalytic metal deposition

A novel electrochemical immunosensor based on double signal amplification of enzyme-encapsulated liposomes and biocatalytic metal deposition was developed for the detection of human prostate specific antigen (PSA). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-encapsulated and detection antibody-functionalized liposomes were first prepared and used as the detection reagent. In the sandwich immunoassay, the model analyte PSA was first captured by anti-PSA capture antibody immobilized on the electrode and then sandwiched with the functionalized liposomes. The bound liposomes were then lysed with surfactant to release the encapsulated ALP, which served as secondary signal amplification means. ALP on the electrode surface initiated the hydrolysis of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA-p) to produce ascorbic acid. The latter, in turn, reduced silver ions on the electrode surface, leading to deposition of the metal silver on the electrode surface. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was chosen to detect the amount of the deposited silver. The results showed that the anodic stripping peak current was linearly dependent on the PSA concentration in the range of 0.01-100 ng mL⁻¹, and a detection limit as low as 0.007 ng mL⁻¹ can be obtained. Since the cut-off value of human PSA is 4 ng mL⁻¹, the proposed electrochemical immunosensor would be expected to gain widespread applications for the detection of PSA in clinical diagnosis.     

Preparation and characterization of Prussian blue nanowire array and bioapplication for glucose biosensing

Prussian blue nanowire array (PBNWA) was prepared via electrochemical deposition with polycarbonate membrane template for effective modification of glassy carbon electrode. The PBNWA electrode thus obtained was demonstrated to have high-catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide in neutral media. This enabled the PBNWA electrode to show rapid response to H₂O₂ at a low potential of −0.1 V over a wide range of concentrations from 1 × 10⁻⁷ M to 5 × 10⁻² M with a high sensitivity of 183 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². Such a low-working potential also substantially improved the selectivity of the PBNWA electrode against most electroactive species such as ascorbic acid and uric acid in physiological media. A detection limit of 5 × 10⁻⁸ M was obtained using the PBNWA electrode for H₂O₂, which compared favorably with most electroanalysis procedures for H₂O₂. A biosensor toward glucose was then constructed with the PBNWA electrode as the basic electrode by crosslinking glucose oxidase (GOx). The glucose biosensor allowed rapid, selective and sensitive determination of glucose at −0.1 V. The amperometric response exhibited a linear correlation to glucose concentration through an expanded range from 2 × 10⁻⁶ M to 1 × 10⁻² M, and the response time and detection limit were determined to be 3 s and 1 μM, respectively.     

Study of uptake kinetics of vincristine for human erythrocytes by capillary zone electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was employed for the determination of vincristine using electrochemical detection with a carbon fiber microdisk bundle electrode at a constant potential of 1.0 V versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE). The optimum conditions of separation and detection are 1.7×10⁻² Na₂HPO₄− 3.2×10⁻³ mol/l NaH₂PO₄ (pH 7.5) for the buffer solution, 20 kV for the separation voltage. The limit of detection is 5.0×10⁻⁷ mol/l or 2.2 fmol (S/N=3) for the injection voltage of 5 kV and the injection time of 10 s. The recovery of the method is between 95 and 101% for the vincristine taken by human erythrocytes. The method was applied to investigate uptake and accumulation behavior of vincristine for human erythrocytes. The advantages of the method are the small sample volume of CZE and the high selectivity and sensitivity of electrochemical detection.     

Simultaneous determination of antioxidants at a chemically modified electrode with vitamin B12 by capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with amperometric detection

In the paper, a new kind of vitamin B₁₂ (acquo-cobalamine) chemically modified electrode was fabricated and applied in capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with amperometric detection (CZE-AD) for simultaneous determination of six antioxidants in fruits and vegetables. The catalytic electrochemical properties of the chemically modified electrode could obviously enhance oxidation peak heights responses by about five times to glutathione, ascorbic acid, vanillic acid, chlorogenic acid, salicylic acid, and caffeic acid compared with common carbon disk electrode. Furthermore, the effects of working electrode potential, pH and concentration of running buffer, separation voltage and injection time on CZE-AD were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the six analytes could be completely separated and detected in a borate-phosphate buffer (pH 8.4) within 15 min. Their linear ranges were from 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ and the detection limits were as low as 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ magnitude (S/N = 3). The proposed method has been successfully employed to monitor the six analytes in practical samples with recoveries in the range 96.0-106.0% and RSDs less than 5.0%. Above results demonstrate that capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with electrochemical detection using vitamin B₁₂ modified electrode as detector is of convenient preparation, high sensitivity, good repeatability, and could be used in the rapid determination of practical samples.     

Electrochemical study of nitrobenzene reduction using novel Pt nanoparticles/macroporous carbon hybrid nanocomposites

Novel Pt nanoparticles (PN) ensemble on macroporous carbon (MPC) hybrid nanocomposites (PNMPC) were prepared through a rapidly and simple one-step microwave-assisted heating procedure. The obtained PNMPC was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and electrochemical methods. The electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene (NB) was thoroughly investigated at the PNMPC modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode, and the catalytic rate constant was calculated to be 3.14 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ for NB. A sensitive NB sensor was developed based on the PNMPC/GC electrode, which showed a wide linear range (1–200 μM), low detection limit (50 nM), high sensitivity (6.93 μA μM⁻¹), excellent anti-interference ability and good stability. And moreover, the electrode was successfully applied to the determination of NB in real samples.     

Voltammetric performance and application of a sensor for sodium ions constructed with layered birnessite-type manganese oxide

The preparation and electrochemical characterization of a carbon paste electrode modified with layered birnessite-type manganese oxide for use as a sodium sensor is described. The effects of powder synthesis process (sol-gel and redox precipitation) for birnessite on the electrochemical activity of the sensor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The carbon paste electrode modified with birnessite-type manganese oxide that was synthesized by the sol-gel method showed a best electrochemical for sodium ions. The detection is based on the measurement of anodic current generated by oxidation of Mn(III) to Mn(IV) at the surface of the electrode and consequently the sodium ions extraction into the birnessite structure. The best voltammetric response was obtained for an electrode composition of 15% (w/w) birnessite oxide in the paste, a TRIS buffer solution of pH 8.0 and a scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹. A sensitive linear voltammetric response for sodium ions was obtained in the concentration range of 7.89 × 10⁻⁵ to 3.49 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ with a slope of 37.5 μA L mmol⁻¹ and a detection limit (3σ/slope) of 3.43 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ using cyclic voltammetry. Under the working conditions, the proposed method was successfully applied to determination of sodium ions in urine samples.     

Study of the electrochemical behavior of isorhamnetin on a glassy carbon electrode and its application

The electrochemical behavior of isorhamnetin (ISO) at a glassy carbon electrode was studied in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 4.0 by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetric method (DPV). A well-defined redox wave of ISO involving one electrons and one proton appeared. The electrode reaction is a reactant weak adsorption-controlled process with a charge transfer coefficient (α) of 0.586. Based on the understanding of the electrochemical process of ISO at the glassy carbon electrode, analysis of ISO can be realized. Under optimal conditions, the oxidation peak current showed linear dependence on the concentration of ISO in the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 4.0 × 10⁻⁷ M and 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ M. The detection limit is 5.0 × 10⁻⁹ M. This method has been successfully applied to the detection of ISO in tablets.     

Studies on electrochemical behaviors of acyclovir and its voltammetric determination with nano-structured film electrode

A multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)-dihexadecyl hydrogen phosphate (DHP) film-coated glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated, and the electrochemical behaviors of acyclovir on the MWNTs-DHP film-coated GCE were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and chronocoulometry (CC). The oxidation peak current of acyclovir increased significantly and the peak potential shifted negatively at the MWNTs-DHP film-modified GCE, compared with that at a bare GCE. The results showed that this nano-structured film electrode exhibited excellent enhancement effects on the electrochemical oxidation of acyclovir. Consequently, a simple and sensitive electroanalytical method was developed for the determination of acyclovir. The oxidation peak current was proportional to the concentration of acyclovir from 8.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L. The detection limit was about 3.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L for 60 s accumulation at 0.00 V. The proposed method was demonstrated by using acyclovir tablets and the result was satisfying.     

A new method for electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid at the Cu(II) zeolite-modified electrode

A new method is developed for the catalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid at graphite zeolite-modified electrode, doped with copper(II) (Cu²⁺A/ZCME). Copper(II) exchanged in zeolite type A acts as catalyst to oxidize ascorbic acid. The modified electrode lowered the overpotential of the reaction by ∼400 mV. First, the electrochemical behavior of copper(II), incorporated in the zeolite type A modified electrode, was studied. The results illustrate that diffusion can control the copper(II)/copper(0) redox process at the Cu²⁺A/ZCME. Then, the behavior of electrocatalytic oxidation reaction for ascorbic acid was researched. The electrode was employed to study electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid, using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry as diagnostic techniques. The diffusion coefficient of ascorbic acid was equal to 1.028 × 10⁻⁵ cm² s⁻¹. A linear calibration graph was obtained over the ascorbic acid with a concentration range of 0.003-6.00 mmol L⁻¹. The detection limit (DL) of ascorbic acid was estimated as 2.76 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The relative standard deviations of 10 replicate measurements (performed on a single electrode at several ascorbic acid concentrations between 3.0 and 200 μmol L⁻¹) were measured between 1.0 and 2.4%.     

Synergistic effects of nano-ZnO/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/chitosan nanocomposite membrane for the sensitive detection of sequence-specific of PAT gene and PCR amplification of NOS gene

The remarkable synergistic effects of the zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were developed for the ssDNA probe immobilization and fabrication of the electrochemical DNA biosensor. The ZnO/MWNTs/chitosan nanocomposite membrane-modified glassy carbon electrode (ZnO/MWNTs/CHIT/GCE) was fabricated and the ssDNA probes were immobilized on the modified electrode surface. The preparation method is quite simple and inexpensive. The hybridization events were monitored by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using methylene blue (MB) as an indicator. As compared with previous MWNTs-based DNA biosensors, this composite matrix combined the attractive biocompatibility of ZnO nanoparticles with the excellent electron-transfer ability of MWNTs and fine membrane-forming ability of CHIT increased the DNA attachment quantity and complementary DNA detection sensitivity. The approach described here can effectively discriminate complementary DNA sequence, noncomplementary sequence, single-base mismatched sequence and double-base mismatched sequence related to phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) gene in transgenic corn. Under optimal conditions, the dynamic detection range of the sensor to PAT gene complementary target sequence was from 1.0 × 10⁻¹¹ to 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L with the detection limit of 2.8 × 10⁻¹² mol/L. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of nopaline synthase (NOS) gene from the real sample of one kind of transgenic soybeans was also satisfactorily detected with this electrochemical DNA biosensor, suggesting that the ZnO/MWNTs/CHIT nanocomposite hold great promises for sensitive electrochemical biosensor applications.     

Copper nanoparticles entrapped in SWCNT-PPy nanocomposite on Pt electrode as NOx electrochemical sensor

A highly sensitive NO_x sensor was designed and developed by electrochemical incorporation of copper nanoparticles (CuNP) on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)-polypyrrole (PPy) nanocomposite modified Pt electrode. The modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Further, the electrochemical behavior of the CuNP-SWCNT-PPy-Pt electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. It exhibited the characteristic CuNP reversible redox peaks at −0.15 V and −0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl respectively. The electrocatalytic activity of the CuNP-SWCNT-PPy-Pt electrode towards NO_x is four-fold than the CuNP-PPy-Pt electrode. These results clearly revealed that the SWCNT-PPy nanocomposite facilitated the electron transfer from CuNP to Pt electrode and provided an electrochemical approach for the determination of NO_x. A linear dependence (r² = 0.9946) on the NO_x concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 2000 μM, with a sensitivity of 0.22 ± 0.002 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² and detection limit of 0.7 μM was observed for the CuNP-SWCNT-PPy-Pt electrode. In addition, the sensor exhibited good reproducibility and retained stability over a period of one month.     

Enzyme-catalyzed silver deposition on irregular-shaped gold nanoparticles for electrochemical immunoassay of alpha-fetoprotein

A new and disposable electrochemical immunosensor was designed for detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), as a model analyte, with sensitivity enhancement based on enzyme-catalyzed silver deposition onto irregular-shaped gold nanoparticles (ISGNPs). The assay was carried out with a sandwich-type immunoassay protocol by using ISGNP-labeled anti-AFP antibodies conjugated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP–Ab₂) as detection antibodies. The enzymatically catalytic deposition of silver on the electrode could be measured by stripping analysis in KCl solution due to the Ag/AgCl solid-state voltammetric process. Several labeling protocols including spherical gold nanoparticle-labeled ALP–Ab₂ and ISGNP-labeled ALP–Ab₂ were investigated for determination of AFP, and improved analytical properties were achieved with the ISGNP labeling. With the ISGNP labeling method, the effects of incubation time and incubation temperature for antigen-antibody reaction, and deposition time of silver on the current responses of the electrochemical immunosensors were also monitored. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical immunosensor exhibited a wide dynamic range from 0.01 ng mL⁻¹ to 200 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 5.0 pg mL⁻¹ AFP. The immunosensor displayed a good stability and acceptable reproducibility and accuracy. No significant differences at the 95% confidence level were encountered in the analysis of 10 clinical serum samples between the developed immunoassay and the commercially available electrochemiluminescent method for determination of AFP.     

Determination of dissolved sulphides in waste water samples by flow-through stripping chronopotentiometry with a macroporous mercury-film electrode

Sulphides in water samples were determined by stripping chronopotentiometry in a computer controlled flow system with a flow-through electrochemical cell. The working electrode was a porous glassy carbon electrode coated with Nafion and mercury. The sample was diluted with 0.1 mol L⁻¹ NaOH and analysed. Sulphides in the sample were collected in the porous electrode as mercury sulphide and then stripped by a current of −500 μA. The limit of detection was found to be 1.6 μg L⁻¹ and 0.5 μg L⁻¹ for 1 mL and 5 mL of preconcentrated sample, respectively. The linear range for 1 mL sample was found to be 5-400 μg L⁻¹. The repeatability and reproducibility was found to be 2.6% and 4.8%, respectively. The method was applied to analyses of waste water samples from a tannery.