Voltammetric behaviour and trace determination of copper at a mercury-free screen-printed carbon electrode

Screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs), without chemical modification, have been investigated as disposable sensors for the measurement of trace levels of Cu(2+). Cyclic voltammetry was employed to elucidate the electrochemical behaviour of Cu(2+) at these electrodes in a variety of supporting electrolytes. For all of the electrolytes studied the anodic peaks, obtained on the reverse scans, showed that the Cu(2+) had been deposited as a thin layer on the surface of the SPCE. The anodic peak of greatest magnitude was obtained in 0.1 M malonic acid. The possibility of determining Cu(2+) at trace levels using this medium was examined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The effect of Bi(3+), Cd(2+), Fe(3+), Hg(2)(2+), Pb(2+), Sb(3+) and Zn(2+) on the Cu stripping peak was examined and under the conditions employed, only Hg(2)(2+) was found to significantly effect the response gained. The sensors were evaluated by carrying out Cu(2+) determinations on spiked and unspiked serum and water samples. The mean recovery was found in all cases to be >90% and the performance characteristics indicated the method holds promise for trace Cu(2+) levels by employment of Hg-free SPCEs using DPASV.     

The renovated silver ring electrode in determination of lead traces by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

The study of a new type of working electrode - the renovated silver ring electrode (RSRE) - for lead ions detection via differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP ASV) without removal of oxygen is reported. The only four constituents of the RSRE: a specially constructed silver ring electrode, a silver sheet used as silver counter/quasi-reference electrode and a silicon O-ring, are fastened together in a polypropylene body. The renovation of this electrode is carried out through mechanical removal of solid contaminants and electrochemical activation in the electrolyte which fills the RSRE body. Excellent repeatability and reproducibility - also in organic samples solutions - were reached in a period of a few weeks through the renovation of the electrode surface before each measurement. The reduction and stripping of lead on silver electrode under the DP ASV conditions are underpotential deposition/dissolution phenomena. The RSRE is used for the determination of Pb ions in concentrations ranging from 1 × 10⁻⁹ to 1 × 10⁻⁷ M. The repeatability of DP ASV runs in synthetic solutions covering the entire concentration range is better than 2%. Obtained calibration curves are represented by a correlation coefficient of at least 0.999. The detection limit (LOD) for the time of electrodeposition equal to 60 s is 0.2 × 10⁻⁹ M. LOD for Pb²⁺ detection at the RSRE is similar to this reported for a rotating silver electrode in subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry (E. Kirowa-Eisner, et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 385 (1999) 325). The analysis of Pb²⁺ in synthetic solutions with and without surfactants, certified reference materials and natural water samples have been performed.     

Characteristics of subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry of Pb and Cd at silver and gold electrodes

Silver and gold electrodes are useful for the quantitative determination of lead and cadmium with subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry (SASV). The use of SASV is essential for achieving good separation between the two peaks, to eliminate the interference of nitrates when cadmium is present and to allow analysis at very low concentrations without the removal of oxygen. The deposition and dissolution of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ proceed at underpotential (UPD) on both electrodes. The UPD properties of the deposits are the main factor determining the analytical characteristics of the ASV method and are strongly affected by the type and concentration of the electrolyte. The effects of anions (Cl⁻, Br⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻) and acids (HNO₃, HClO₄, H₂SO₄, HCl) are shown. The two electrodes complement each other and, in addition, enable the qualitative identification of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺, since the peaks appear in opposite order on the two electrodes. Analysis of mixtures of the two analytes is restricted on gold but not on silver. At gold the two peaks overlap: (i) at concentrations of cadmium higher than 250 nM at deposition times greater than 30 s, (ii) in the presence of copper at concentrations higher than 1 μM, and (iii) in the presence of Triton X-100 at concentrations above 10 mg/l. The repeatability at 10 nM analyte is better than 2.5%. The detection limits for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ at 120 s deposition time and 3500 rpm rotation rate are: dl_Pb/Ag=0.04 nM; dl_Cd/Ag=0.7 nM; dl_Pb/Au=0.1 nM; dl_Cd/Au=0.3 nM. The analysis of lead and cadmium in natural waters has been performed.     

Detection of lead ions in picomolar concentration range using underpotential deposition on silver nanoparticles-deposited glassy carbon electrodes

The efficacy of silver-deposited glassy carbon electrode for the determination of lead ions at the sub-nanomolar concentration ranges is investigated. The silver nanoparticles are electrodeposited on glassy carbon electrode using chronoamperometry and the electrode surface is characterized using SEM. Lead ions are detected in the region of underpotential deposition. The analysis is performed in square wave mode in the stripping voltammetry without the removal of oxygen. The detection limit of 10 pM has been obtained with a constant potential of −0.7 V during the electrodeposition step for a period of 50 s. The interference of surfactants in the detection of lead ions is also studied.     

Voltammetric determination of trace mercury at a sonogel-carbon electrode modified with poly-3-methylthiophene

The sonogel-carbon electrode is a new class of sol-gel electrode that exhibit favourable mechanics and electrics properties to be used as electrochemical sensor. In this paper, a modified sonogel-carbon electrode is proposed to determine mercury at trace levels. The modified electrode is obtained by electropolymerization of 3-methylthiophene on the surface of a bare sonogel-carbon electrode. This electrode shows high selectivity and sensitivity and linear response towards Hg(II), with a detection limit of 1.4 × 10⁻³ mg l⁻¹. The electrode is reusable by a simple chemical cleaning procedure. No deterioration was observed in the electrode response during at least 1 week of successive measurements.     

Development of an anodic stripping voltammetric assay, using a disposable mercury-free screen-printed carbon electrode, for the determination of zinc in human sweat

This paper reports on the development of a novel electrochemical assay for Zn²⁺ in human sweat, which involves the use of disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs). Initially, SPCEs were used in conjunction with cyclic voltammetry to study the redox characteristics of Zn²⁺ in a selection of supporting electrolytes. The best defined cathodic and anodic peaks were obtained with 0.1 M NaCl/0.1 M acetate buffer pH 6.0. The anodic peak was sharp and symmetrical which is typical for the oxidation of a thin metal film on the electrode surface. This behaviour was exploited in the development of a differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric (DPASV) assay for zinc. It was shown that a deposition potential of −1.6 V versus Ag/AgCl and deposition time of 60 s with stirring (10 s equilibration) produced a well-defined stripping peak with E_pa = −1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl. Using these conditions, the calibration plot was linear over the range 1 × 10⁻⁸ to 5 × 10⁻⁶ M Zn²⁺. The precision was examined by carrying out six replicate measurements at a concentration of 2 × 10⁻⁶ M; the coefficient of variation was calculated to be 5.6%. The method was applied to the determination of the analyte in sweat from 10 human volunteers. The concentrations were between 0.39 and 1.56 μg/mL, which agrees well with previously reported values. This simple, low-cost sensitive assay should have application in biomedical studies and for stress and fatigue in sports studies.     

Potentiometric determination of antihistaminic diphenhydramine hydrochloride in pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids using screen-printed electrode

The performance characteristic of sensitive screen-printed (SPE) and carbon paste (CPE) electrodes was investigated for the determination of diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH) drug in pure, pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids. Different experimental conditions namely types of materials used to prepare the working electrode (plasticizer), titrant, pH, temperature and life time were studied. Under these conditions, the SPE shows the best performance than CPE with respect to total potential change and potential break at the end point. The SPE and CPE exhibit suitable response to DPH in a concentration range of 1.0.10^{− 2} to 1.0.10^{− 6} mol/L with a limit of detection 9.70.10^{− 7} and 9.80.10^{− 7} mol/L, respectively. The slope of the system was 55.2 ± 1.0 and 54.7 ± 1.0 mV/decade over pH range 3.0–8.0 and 3–7 for SPE and CPE, respectively. Selectivity coefficients for DPH relative to a numbers of potential interfering substances were investigated. The SPE and CPE show a fast response time of 10 and 16 s and were used over a period of 2 months with a good reproducibility. The sensors were applied successfully to determine DPH in pharmaceutical preparations and biological fluids. The results are compared with the official method.     

Stripping chronopotentiometric measurements of lead(II) and cadmium(II) in soils extracts and wastewaters using a bismuth film screen-printed electrode assembly

The key to remediative processes is the ability to measure toxic contaminants on-site using simple and cheap sensing devices, which are field-portable and can facilitate more rapid decision-making. A three-electrode configuration system has been fabricated using low-cost screen-printing (thick-film) technology and this coupled with a portable electrochemical instrument has provided a a relatively inexpensive on-site detector for trace levels of toxic metals. The carbon surface of the screen-printed working electrode is used as a substrate for in situ deposition of a metallic film of bismuth, which allows the electrochemical preconcentration of metal ions. Lead and cadmium were simultaneously detected using stripping chronopotentiometry at the bismuth film electrode. Detection limits of 8 and 10 ppb were obtained for cadmium(II) and lead(II), respectively, for a deposition time of 120 s. The developed method was applied to the determination of lead and cadmium in soils extracts and wastewaters obtained from polluted sites. For comparison purposes, a mercury film electrode and ICP-MS were also used for validation.     

Electrochemical sensors for the simultaneous determination of zinc,cadmium and lead using a Nafion/ionic liquid/graphene composite modified screen-printed carbon electrode

A simple, low cost, and highly sensitive electrochemical sensor, based on a Nafion/ionic liquid/graphene composite modified screen-printed carbon electrode (N/IL/G/SPCE) was developed to determine zinc (Zn(II)), cadmium (Cd(II)), and lead (Pb(II)) simultaneously. This disposable electrode shows excellent conductivity and fast electron transfer kinetics. By in situ plating with a bismuth film (BiF), the developed electrode exhibited well-defined and separate peaks for Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Analytical characteristics of the BiF/N/IL/G/SPCE were explored with calibration curves which were found to be linear for Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) concentrations over the range from 0.1 to 100.0 ng L⁻¹. With an accumulation period of 120 s detection limits of 0.09 ng mL⁻¹, 0.06 ng L⁻¹ and 0.08 ng L⁻¹ were obtained for Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II), respectively using the BiF/N/IL/G/SPCE sensor, calculated as 3σ value of the blank. In addition, the developed electrode displayed a good repeatability and reproducibility. The interference from other common ions associated with Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) detection could be effectively avoided. Finally, the proposed analytical procedure was applied to detect the trace metal ions in drinking water samples with satisfactory results which demonstrates the suitability of the BiF/N/IL/G/SPCE to detect heavy metals in water samples and the results agreed well with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.     

Voltammetric behavior of urapidil and its determination at multi-wall carbon nanotube paste electrode

The voltammetric behavior of urapidil was investigated. In pH 6.8 Britton-Robinson buffer, an irreversible oxidation peak of urapidil at 0.62 V (versus SCE) at a multi-wall carbon nanotube paste electrode (MWNT-PE) was observed, which was more sensitive with lower potential than that at the carbon paste electrode (CPE). The oxidation of urapidil was a two-electron and two-proton process with adsorption character. A differential pulse voltammetric method was proposed for the determination of urapidil. The peak current of the oxidation peak of urapidil was linearly with its concentration in a range from 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L at open-circuit accumulation for 60 s, with a detection limit of 3.8 × 10⁻⁸ mol/L. The proposed method was employed to determine urapidil in urapidil tablets.     

Determination of nanomolar concentrations of lead and cadmium by anodic-stripping voltammetry at the silver electrode

Lead and cadmium have been determined by subtractive anodic-stripping voltammetry (SASV) in the square-wave mode at a silver electrode without removal of oxygen. The sensitivities and detection limits for the two metals differ considerably. Detection limits of 0.05 nM for lead and 1 nM for cadmium have been achieved following 90 s electrodeposition. The repeatability of consecutive SASV runs is good (for lead 0.5% at 20 nM for 30 s electrolysis, 5% at 0.3 nM for 60 s electrolysis; for cadmium 2.5% at 20 nM for 30 s electrolysis, 5% at 5 nM for 60 s). Hundreds of runs can be carried out without any pretreatment of the electrode. The high stability is attributed to renewal of the electrode surface that takes place during the electrodeposition step in a two-electrode cell: the silver counter/quasi-reference electrode generates silver ions that codeposit with lead and cadmium at the Ag-RDE, thus ensuring a continuity of the latter. Underpotential deposition (UPD) plays a central role in anodic-stripping voltammetry (ASV). During the deposition step, the adatom coverage of trace elements is in the range of 0.01-1% and no bulk deposition is invoked for metals that exhibit UPD. The UPD properties and, as a result, the ASV signals are strongly affected by the type and concentration of the supporting electrolyte. The effects of Cl⁻, Br⁻, SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ are shown. The analysis of lead and cadmium in natural waters has been performed. Surfactants distort the SASV signal. In order to ensure surfactant-free solutions, the samples were pretreated by wet ashing.     

Determination of lead and cadmium in seawater using a vibrating silver amalgam microwire electrode

Silver amalgamated electrodes are a good substrate to determine lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in seawater because they have properties similar to mercury but without the free mercury (Hg). Here a silver amalgamated microwire (SAM) electrode is optimised for the determination of Pb and Cd in coastal waters and uncontaminated ocean waters. The SAM was vibrated during the deposition step to increase the sensitivity, and electroanalytical parameters were optimised. The Hg coating required plating from a relatively concentrated (millimolar) solution, much greater (500×) than used for instance to coat glassy carbon electrodes. However, the coating on the ex situ amalgamated electrode was found to be stable and could be used for up to a week to determine trace levels of Pb in seawater of natural pH. The limit of detection square-wave ASV (50 Hz) using the pre-plated SAM electrode was 8 pM Pb using a 1-min plating time at pH 4.5. The limit of detection in pH 2 seawater was 4 pM using a 5-min plating time, and it was 12 pM using a 10-min plating time at natural pH in the presence of air, using a square-wave frequency of 700 Hz. The vibrating SAM electrode was tested on the determination of Pb in reference seawater samples from the open Atlantic (at the 20 pM level), Pacific, and used for a study of Pb in samples collected over 24 h in Liverpool Bay (Irish Sea).     

Characteristics of Subtractive Anodic Stripping Voltammetry of Lead,Cadmium and Thallium at Silver‐Gold Alloy Electrodes

Silver‐gold alloy electrodes have been studied for the purpose of the quantitative determination of heavy metals by subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry, (SASV). The results have been compared with those obtained with the silver and gold electrodes. The 50/50 a/o Ag/Au alloy electrode is the most suitable for quantifying thallium in the presence of lead and cadmium. The separation of its peak from those of lead and cadmium is 200 mV, which is about twice the separation obtained on the pure metal electrodes and is also better than on mercury. The silver electrode is suitable for the simultaneous determination of thallium, lead and cadmium. The peaks of lead and cadmium overlap on the 50/50 alloy. Pure silver or pure gold can be used for simultaneous quantification of these two metals. The use of gold for quantifying lead and cadmium is more limited because the peak potential of cadmium is shifted in the negative direction as its concentration increases and at [Cd²⁺]>200 nM, the two peaks merge. SASV enables correction for background currents and is of utmost importance for obtaining well‐defined peaks. The peaks of lead, cadmium and thallium appear over a relatively narrow potential range (ca. 200 mV) on all the electrodes presented in this work. For this reason, the quantifying of a peak is based on the derivative at the inflection point of only one of its branches (ascending or descending). All SASV measurements were carried out without removal of oxygen.     

Voltammetry of lead cations on a new type of silver composite electrode in the presence of other cations

A new type of silver composite electrode was examined, prepared from silver, graphite powder, and methacrylate resin. The effects of the presence of various cations (cadmium, copper, bismuth, thallium), anions (chlorides), surface-active substances (Triton X-100), and oxygen on the anodic-stripping voltammetric determination of lead were studied. It was found that the effect of underpotential deposition at the composite electrode differs from that produced at a metallic silver electrode, mainly at low concentrations of the deposited metal. The use of this type of silver composite electrode in differential pulse anodic-stripping voltammetry enables direct determination of lead in natural water samples without elimination of surface-active substances (LOD about 3 g L^–1).     

Characterization of the gold-catalyzed deposition of silver on graphite screen-printed electrodes and their application to the development of impedimetric immunosensors

This paper describes the characterization of the gold-catalyzed deposition of silver on graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the application of this approach to the development of impedimetric immunosensors. After applying −0.1 V for 45 s, the amount of electrodeposited silver quantitatively changes the magnitude of two elements of the electrical equivalent circuit: the interface capacitance, Ci, and the charge-transfer resistance, R_CT. Better correlations have been found when considering the R_CT since this parameter is almost exclusively dependent on the amount of deposited silver under these experimental conditions. This approach has been successfully applied to the development of an impedimetric immunosensor for aflatoxin M₁. The R_CT magnitude shows good correlation with the amount of gold immobilized on the electrode surface after a competitive assay and thus, with the toxin concentration. This approach has been found sensitive in a wide range of concentrations, from 15 to 1000 free-AFM₁ ppt with a limit of detection of 12 ppt.     

A highly stable and sensitive chemically modified screen-printed electrode for sulfide analysis

We report here a highly stable and sensitive chemically modified screen-printed carbon electrode (CMSPE) for sulfide analysis. The CMSPE was prepared by first ion-exchanging ferricyanide into a Tosflex anion-exchange polymer and then sealing with a tetraethyl orthosilicate sol-gel layer. The sol-gel overlayer coating was crucial to stabilize the electron mediator (i.e., Fe(CN)₆³⁻) from leaching. The strong interaction between the oxy-hydroxy functional group of sol-gel and the hydrophilic sites of Tosflex makes the composite highly rigid to trap the ferricyanide mediator. An obvious electrocatalytic sulfide oxidation current signal at ∼0.20 V versus Ag/AgCl in pH 7 phosphate buffer solution was observed at the CMSPE. A linear calibration plot over a wide range of 0.1 μM to 1 mM with a slope of 5.6 nA/μM was obtained by flow injection analysis. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 8.9 nM (i.e., 25.6 ppt). Practical utility of the system was applied to the determination of sulfide trapped from cigarette smoke and sulfide content in hot spring water.     

Determination of lamotrigine by adsorptive stripping voltammetry using silver nanoparticle-modified carbon screen-printed electrodes

Carbon screen-printed electrodes (CSPE) modified with silver nanoparticles present an interesting alternative in the determination of lamotrigine (LTG) using differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry.Metallic silver nanoparticle deposits have been obtained by electrochemical deposition. Scanning electron microscopy measurements show that the electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles are deposited in aggregated form.The detection limit for this analytical procedure was 3.72 × 10⁻⁷ M. In terms of reproducibility, the precision of the above mentioned method in %R.S.D. values was calculated at 2.58%.The method was applied satisfactorily to the determination of LTG in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Electrochemical behaviour of triclosan at a screen-printed carbon electrode and its voltammetric determination in toothpaste and mouthrinse products

Cyclic voltammetry was used to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of triclosan (2,2,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenyl ether) at a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). It was found that a single anodic peak occurred over the pH range 6.0–12.0; this peak was considered to result from an irreversible oxidation reaction at the phenolic moiety. A plot of E_p versus pH was constructed and from the break point a pK_a value of 7.9 was obtained, thus agreeing with the literature value. Detailed voltammetric studies were performed at pH 10, where the analyte exists as an anion. It was demonstrated that, at an initial potential of 0 V, the anion underwent electrosorption prior to electrochemical oxidation. The oxidation reaction appeared to involve a one-electron transfer, as deduced from a calculated n_a value of 0.5; the same value was obtained at pH 7.0. In contrast to triclosan, triclosan monophosphate was found to be electrochemically inactive when subjected to voltammetry under the stated conditions.

The electrochemical oxidation of triclosan at a SPCE was exploited for its determination (0.3%) in commercial toothpaste and mouthrinse products using differential pulse voltammetry. The recovery and precision data indicated that this approach may have application in routine quality control analysis.     

Voltammetric determination of quercetin at a multi-walled carbon nanotubes paste electrode

Quercetin can effectively accumulate at multi-walled carbon nanotubes-paraffin oil paste electrodes (CNTPE) and cause a sensitive anodic peak at around 0.32 V (vs. SCE) in a 0.10 M phosphate buffer solution (pH = 4.0). Under optimized conditions, the anodic peak current is linear to quercetin concentration in the ranges of 2.0 × 10^− 9−1.0 × 10^− 7 M and 1.0 × 10^− 7−2.0 × 10^− 5 M, and the regression equations are i_p (μA) = 0.0017 + 0.928c (μM, r = 0.999) and i_p (μA) = 0.183 + 0.0731c (μM, r = 0.995), respectively. This paste electrode can be regenerated by repetitively cycling in a blank solution for about 2 min. A 1.0 × 10^− 6 M quercetin solution is measured for 10 times using the same electrode regenerated after every determination, and the relative standard deviation of the peak current is 1.7%. The method has been applied to the determination of quercetin in hydrolysate product of rutin and the recovery is 99.2–102.6%. In comparison with graphite paste electrode, carbon nanotubes-nujol paste electrode and carbon nanotubes casting film modified glassy carbon electrode, the CNTPE gives higher ratio of signal to background current and better defined voltammetric peak.     

Voltammetric determination of 2-nitrophenol at a bentonite-modified carbon paste electrode

A bentonite-modified carbon paste electrode has been applied to the determination of 2-nitrophenol by differential pulse voltammmetry. The electrochemical reduction of 2-nitrophenol at –0.8 V is carried out in an artificial sea water-formic acid/sodium formate medium at pH 4. The peak height was found to be dependent on the pH over the range 2–11; the presence of a secondary process was observed in the pH range 8–11. The peak potential showed a dependence on pH, with two linear regions with different slopes. A linear relationship between peak intensity and concentration was obtained in the range 0.07–10 mgl^–1, with a detection limit of 0.03 mg 1^–1 and a coefficient of variation of 1.3% at 5 mg 1^–1. The effects of organic and inorganic species on the 2-nitrophenol determination were studied with a view to testing the resolution of the voltammetric technique. The proposed method has been applied to sea water samples with good results.