Voltammetric behavior and trace determination of Pb at a mercury-free screen-printed silver electrode

Screen-printed silver electrodes (AgSPEs), without chemical modification, has been investigated as disposable sensors for the measurement of trace levels of Pb²⁺. Potential segment analysis indicates that the formation of underpotential and bulk depositions of Pb is not strongly coupled on the AgSPE. The possibility of determining Pb²⁺ at trace levels using the reversible underpotential deposition peak was examined by square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry without removal of oxygen. Under the optimized analytical conditions, the obtained sensitivity, linearity, and detection limit are 0.355 μA/ppb, 5-80 ppb (r=0.9992), and 0.46 ppb (S/N=3), respectively. The electrode is quite stable for repetitive measurements. The interference effect was thoroughly studied with various metals and no significant change in current was found in the determination of 5 ppb Pb²⁺. The practical applications were demonstrated to measure trace Pb²⁺ in natural waters.     

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).     

Voltammetry using a dental amalgam electrode for heavy metal monitoring of wines and spirits

We have introduced a non-toxic electrode material similar to dental amalgam for use in voltammetry. Its electrochemical properties are like a silver electrode. However, it possesses a higher overvoltage towards hydrogen than silver, and therefore enables detection of metals like zinc, nickel and cobalt. As such solid electrodes are found to give stable results over several weeks, without any maintenance, and because this method greatly facilitates monitoring of heavy metals, attempts to apply such methods to various samples have been are carried out. The present paper deals with the determination of zinc and lead at nanogram per milliliter levels in wines and spirits with only minor treatment of the samples. The procedure may easily be adapted to continuous monitoring.We have previously found that audible sound may greatly increase the voltammetric signal using liquid mercury as well as silver as electrode material. This is also applied to the actual systems.Finally, model determinations of thallium in brandy with the dental amalgam electrode are compared with atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) measurements. It was found that the electrode could be used repeatedly, without fouling, and with results close to those found by the AAS method.     

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 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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Determination of Lead and Cadmium at Silver Electrode by Subtractive Anodic Stripping Voltammetry in Plant Materials Containing Tl

Lead and cadmium have been determined by the subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry using the square‐wave mode at a silver electrode without removal of oxygen. The samples containing large amount of thallium were collected from a highly contaminated region. The presence of thallium strongly affects the peak shape of Cd. The plant material digestion was performed with HNO₃/HClO₄ mixture using pressurised microwave decomposition. The proposed method used for the lead determination was validated by the inter‐method comparison (ICP‐MS). The cadmium determination was validated using certified reference material. The results obtained, supported by statistical tests, demonstrated the usefulness of the method for the lead determination in samples containing large amounts of Cd and Tl. It is important to note that Cd can only be quantified when the thallium concentration is much lower than that of cadmium.     

High-sensitivity determination of lead and cadmium based on the Nafion-graphene composite film

Graphene nanosheets, dispersed in Nafion (Nafion-G) solution, were used in combination with in situ plated bismuth film electrode for fabricating the enhanced electrochemical sensing platform to determine the lead (Pb²⁺) and cadmium (Cd²⁺) by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The electrochemical properties of the composite film modified glassy carbon electrode were investigated. It is found that the prepared Nafion-G composite film not only exhibited improved sensitivity for the metal ion detections, but also alleviated the interferences due to the synergistic effect of graphene nanosheets and Nafion. The linear calibration curves ranged from 0.5 μg L⁻¹ to 50 μg L⁻¹ for Pb²⁺ and 1.5 μg L⁻¹ to 30 μg L⁻¹ for Cd²⁺, respectively. The detection limits (S/N = 3) were estimated to be around 0.02 μg L⁻¹ for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺. The practical application of the proposed method was verified in the water sample determination.     

Determination of copper, lead and cadmium in whole blood by stripping voltammetry with the use of graphite electrodes

The problem with toxic metal ion determination in blood is the adsorption of organic compounds on the electrode surface and the formation of complexes between metal ions and organic constituents of blood. This is the reason why usually preliminary acid digestion or other sample pretreatment is used. Two kinds of electrodes have been used: “Ultra-Trace Electrode”, made from impregnated graphite (I), and thick film graphite disposable electrodes (II). The analysis of whole blood with different sample preparation methods shows, that chemical digestion is not necessary for the analysis. Electrochemical two-stage sample preparation provides the possibility for analysing whole blood with the mentioned electrodes. Thick film disposable electrodes are less sensitive to the interference of organic constituents of blood. These electrodes give the possibility to determine total cadmium, lead and copper concentration in whole blood without special sample pretreatment. The application of “Ultra-Trace Electrode” for blood analysis is possible only after preliminary pretreatment of blood by chemical digestion or electrochemical sample preparation.     

Continuous flow and flow injection stripping voltammetric determination of silver(I), mercury(II), and bismuth(III) at a bulk modified graphite tube electrode

The epoxy-impregnated graphite tube electrode bulk modified with 2-mercaptobenzoxazole, employed in a wall-jet configuration, was found to be useful for the continuous flow and flow injection stripping voltammetric determinations of Ag^I, Hg^II and Bi^III. For continuous flow, detection limits for Ag^I, Hg^II and Bi^III were 1.8 × 10⁻¹⁰ M, 1.9 × 10⁻⁹ M and 9.5 × 10⁻⁹ M, respectively (10 min accumulation, S/N = 3). Precisions for 5.00 × 10⁻⁹ M Ag^I, 1.00 × 10⁻⁸ M Hg^II and 1.00 × 10⁻⁷ M Bi^III were 10.5%, 5.77 % and 7.90% (relative standard deviations, n = 6), respectively. In the case of flow injection stripping, with a 500 μL injection loop, detection limits of 0.59 ng, 2.0 ng and 120 ng were obtained for Ag^I, Hg^II and Bi^III, respectively (S/N = 3). Selected metal ions, inorganic and organic substances were investigated for interferences. The electrode was tested with a certified sample and then applied to the determinations of the metal ions in a urine and a sea-water sample.     

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.     

Individual and simultaneous determination of lead, cadmium, and zinc by anodic stripping voltammetry at a bismuth bulk electrode

A bismuth bulk electrode (BiBE) has been investigated as an alternative electrode for the anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV) analysis of Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II). The BiBE, which is fabricated in-house, shows results comparable to those of similar analyses at other Bi-based electrodes. Metal accumulation is achieved by holding the electrode potential at −1.4 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 180 s followed by a square wave voltammetric stripping scan from −1.4 to −0.35 V. Calibration plots are obtained for all three metals, individually and simultaneously, in the10-100 μg L⁻¹ range, with a detection limit of 93, 54, and 396 ng L⁻¹ for Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), respectively. A slight reduction in slope is observed for Cd(II) and Pb(II) when the three metals are calibrated simultaneously vs. individually. Comparing the sensitivities of the metals when calibrated individually vs. in a mixture reveals that Zn(II) is not affected by stripping in a mixture. However, Pb(II) and Cd(II) have decreasing sensitivities in a mixture. The optimized method has been successfully used to test contaminated river water by standard addition. The results demonstrate the ability of the BiBE as an alternative electrode material in heavy metal analysis.     

Determination of Lead and Cadmium in Sea‐ and Freshwater by Anodic Stripping Voltammetry with a Vibrating Bismuth Electrode

A solid, bismuth (Bi), disk, electrode is used to determine lead (Pb) in natural waters including seawater. The diffusion layer thickness was lowered from 93 to 29 µm by stirring, and to 18 µm by using the vibrated version of the Bi electrode. The Bi electrode does not require removal of dissolved oxygen, which facilitates in situ detection. The electrode was tested for the determination of Pb in coastal seawater samples. The detection limit for Pb was 0.15 nM in acetate buffer and 0.5 nM in seawater using a 2 min deposition time. Cadmium can be determined together with Pb but the sensitivity is about 10×lower. The Bi electrode compares unfavourably to a mercury electrode in terms of sensitivity.     

Resolving the copper interference effect on the stripping chronopotentiometric response of lead(II) obtained at bismuth film screen-printed electrode

As copper(II) is a common ion in a variety of analytical samples, its effect on the stripping response of lead(II) at bismuth film screen-printed carbon electrode (BFSPCE) was investigated. The study was conducted using a screen-printed three-electrode system (working, counter and reference electrodes), with the carbon-working electrode plated in situ with bismuth film. Copper present at significant concentration level in samples was found to affect the sensitivity of the electrode by reducing the constant current stripping chronopotentiometric (CCSCP) response of lead(II). Recovery of the lead stripping response at the BFSPCE in the presence of copper was obtained when 0.1 mM ferricyanide was added to the test solution. The ferricyanide added circumvents the detrimental effect of copper(II) by selectively masking the copper ions by forming a complex. The analytical utility of the procedure is illustrated by the stripping chronopotentiometric determinations of lead(II) in soil extracts.     

Voltammetric studies of sumatriptan on the surface of pyrolytic graphite electrode modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with silver nanoparticles

Multi-walled carbon nanotube decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs-MWCNT) is used as an effective strategy for modification of the surface of pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE). This modification procedure improved colloidal dispersion of the decorated MWCNTs in water, affording uniform and stable thin films for altering the surface properties of the working electrode. Robust electrode for sensing applications is obtained in a simple solvent evaporation process. The electrochemical behavior of sumatriptan (Sum) at the bare PGE and AgNPs-MWCNT modified PGE is investigated. The results indicate that the AgNPs-MWCNT modified PGE significantly enhanced the oxidation peak current of Sum. A remarkable enhancement in microscopic area of the electrode together with strong adsorption of Sum on the surface of the modified electrode resulted in a considerable increase in the peak current of Sum. Experimental parameters, such as scan rate, pH, accumulation conditions and amount of the modifier used on the PGE surface are optimized by monitoring the CV responses toward Sum. It is found that a maximum current response can be obtained at pH 7.4 after accumulation at open circuit for 150 s. Further experiments demonstrated that the oxidative peak currents increased linearly with Sum concentration in the range of 8.0 × 10⁻⁸-1.0 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 4.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. The modified electrode showed high sensitivity, selectivity, long-term stability and remarkable voltammetric reproducibility in response to Sum. These excellent properties make the prepared sensor suitable for the analysis in pharmaceutical and clinical preparations. The modified electrode was successfully applied for the accurate determination of trace amounts of Sum in pharmaceutical preparations.     

Voltammetric behavior of copper(I)oxide modified carbon paste electrode in the presence of cysteine and ascorbic acid

The electrochemical behavior of a copper(I)oxide (Cu₂O) modified carbon paste electrode (MCPE) was investigated in different buffer solutions and in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and cysteine (RS). Working conditions such as pH, mineral oil, and modifier ratio were optimized. Voltammetric results revealed that RS forms rather stable complexes with Cu(I) which has a high electrocatalytic reduction peak current at −0.65 V versus SCE in borate buffer (pH 9.2). In the case of AA, a complexation occurred with Cu(II) species at the electrode surface, rather than Cu(I). The electrocatalytic reduction peak current of the Cu(II)-AA complex was observed at −0.07 V in phosphate buffer at pH 6.9. Linear responses were observed in the range 2.0×10⁻⁹ to 3.0×10⁻⁸ M with a 0.9954 correlation coefficient for RS and 1.0×10⁻⁹ to 2.0×10⁻⁸ M with a 0.9961 correlation coefficient for AA.     

Effect of presence of 18-crown-6 on the response of 1-pyrrolidine dicarbodithioate-based lead selective electrode

The lipophilic ammonium salt of 1-pyrrolidine dicarbodithioic acid (PCDT)[I] was introduced as a selective ionophore for a sensitive Pb-ion selective electrode. Also, the effect of immobilization of 18-crown-6 (CW), into the above membrane, on the electrode performance was discussed. The slope of the PCDT-based [I] electrode was (26–30 mV decade⁻¹), while it was (29-30 mV decade⁻¹) for (PCDT+CW)-based [II] electrode according to the doping time. The linear concentration ranges were (1×10⁻⁶–1×10⁻¹ M) and (5×10⁻⁵–1×10⁻¹ M) for electrode types [I] and [II] after one-day doping. The working pH ranges were (5.0–10.0) and (7.0–10.0) for electrode types [I] and [II], respectively. Most of the common cations were tested for the evaluation of the electrode selectivity with correlation to the ionic radii of the tested cations. Among them only Na⁺, Ag⁺ and Fe³⁺ were the real interference. Application of using the electrode for the determination of lead in lubrication oil samples was performed with RSD (0.86–1.03%). The obtained results were compared to those of an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method.     

Highly selective and sensitive copper membrane electrode based on a new synthesized Schiff base

Bis(2-hydroxyacetophenone)butane-2,3-dihydrazone (BHAB) was used as new N-N Schiffs base which plays the role of an excellent ion carrier in the construction of a Cu(II) membrane sensor. The best performance was obtained with a membrane composition of 30% poly(vinyl chloride), 55% o-nitrophenyloctyl ether (NPOE), 7% BHAB and 8% oleic acid (OA). This sensor shows very good selectivity and sensitivity towards copper ion over a wide variety of cations, including alkali, alkaline earth, transition and heavy metal ions. The effect of membrane composition and pH and influence of additive anionic on the response properties of electrode were investigated. The electrode exhibits a Nernstian behavior (with slope of 29.6 mV per decade) over a very wide concentration range (5.0 × 10⁻⁸ to 1.0 × 10⁻² mol L⁻¹) with a detection limit of 3.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (2.56 ng mL⁻¹). It shows relatively fast response time, in whole concentration range (<15 s), and can be used for at least 12 weeks in the pH range of 2.8-5.8. The proposed sensor was successfully used to determination of copper in different water samples and as indicator electrode in potentiometric titration of copper ion with EDTA.