The analytical performance of direct current,normal pulse and differential pulse polarography with static mercury drop electrodes

The recently developed static mercury drop electrode (SMDE) provides a fundamentally new approach to electrodes for polarography. An analytical evaluation of the electrode is presented. For a range of electrode processes, current-sampled d.c. polarography at the SMDE is useful down to at least the 10^-7 M concentration level when short drop times and fast potential scan rates are used. The improvement in the limit of detection for d.c. polarography is therefore very substantial. Improvements in sensitivity associated with normal pulse and differential pulse polarography at the SMDE compared with the dropping mercury electrode (DME) are marginal. It is concluded that at the SMDE, the analytical performance and response characteristics of d.c., normal pulse and differential pulse polarography tend to converge.     

Application of reverse pulse polarography to the determination of substances which form films electrochemically on the mercury electrode

The application of reverse pulse polarography to the determination of substances which form films electrochemically on the mercury electrode is illustrated with penicillamine and cysteine. The dependence of the peak current on several variables is reported and compared with theoretical predictions. It is shown that under optimal instrumental conditions (long drop times and short effective pulses) reverse pulse polarography compares favourably with both normal pulse polarography and differential pulse polarography for the determination of penicillamine and cysteine, concentrations of penicillanline as low as 5 x 10(-8)M being readily determined in the presence of copper(II).     

Automated continuous-flow determinations of serum proteins by pulse polarography

A new flow-through cell is described for application of the dropping mercury electrode to the determination of serum proteins in an automated continuous-flow system. By using differential pulse polarography with short controlled drop times, it is possible to run a rapid automated system at sampling rates of up to 120 per hour with approximately +/- 1% precision and less than 3% carry-over. With the Brdicka reagent, hexa-amminecobalt(III) chloride, various serum proteins can be determined in the range 5-50 mug/ml. The method therefore offers a rapid and sensitive automated procedure for determination of serum proteins.     

Direct determination of pentachlorophenol by differential pulse polarography

Differential pulse polarography at the dropping mercury electrode and differential pulse voltammetry at the carbon paste electrode are used for direct determinations of pentachlorophenol at concentrations down to 0.27 ppm. PCP is electrochemically reduced in phosphate buffers of pH 8 to produce a concentration-dependent current peak at —0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The procedure requires only 15 min. Cyclic voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode is used to evaluate the electrochemical reaction and to establish the reversibility of the PCP electrode reaction.     

Electrochemical determination of trace amounts of environmentally important dyes

A number of dyes exhibit genotoxic or ecotoxic properties leading to the need for sensitive and selective methods for their determination. Because of the easy reducibility of dyes, modern polarographic and voltammetric methods (differential pulse polarography on classical dropping mercury electrode, differential pulse voltammetry on hanging mercury drop electrode or adsorptive stripping voltammetry) are suitable for the determination of trace amounts of these substances in the general environment in the vicinity of production plants. The scope and limitations of these methods is reviewed and optimum conditions for recently developed methods are summarized. It is shown that the sensitivity of newly developed polarographic and voltammetric methods is sufficient even for the most demanding applications and their selectivity can be increased by their combination with preliminary separation using thin layer chromatography or liquid extraction.     

Electrochemical determination of trace amounts of environmentally important dyes

A number of dyes exhibit genotoxic or ecotoxic properties leading to the need for sensitive and selective methods for their determination. Because of the easy reducibility of dyes, modern polarographic and voltammetric methods (differential pulse polarography on classical dropping mercury electrode, differential pulse voltammetry on hanging mercury drop electrode or adsorptive stripping voltammetry) are suitable for the determination of trace amounts of these substances in the general environment in the vicinity of production plants. The scope and limitations of these methods is reviewed and optimum conditions for recently developed methods are summarized. It is shown that the sensitivity of newly developed polarographic and voltammetric methods is sufficient even for the most demanding applications and their selectivity can be increased by their combination with preliminary separation using thin layer chromatography or liquid extraction.     

Comparison of fundamental and second-harmonic a.c., and normal,derivative and differential pulse linear-sweep and stripping voltammetric methods

Linear-sweep and stripping a.c. and pulse voltammetric methods have been compared for a variety of electrodes and electrode processes. Each of the linear-sweep techniques is readily used systematically because, in contrast to d.c. linear-sweep voltammetry, the theory for reversible electrode processes is basically analogous to that for polarography at a dropping mercury electrode. In stripping analysis, some departures are found at a hanging mercury drop electrode because of spherical diffusion effects. For reversible electrode processes, the limits of detection for a.c. and pulse methods are comparable. However, a.c. methods offer advantages over pulse methods in discriminating against irreversible electrode processes and permit the ready use of faster scan rates. Pulse methods are more sensitive for irreversible electrode process. Normal pulse polarography is particularly favourable in minimizing undesirable phenomena arising from adsorption or deposition of material on electrodes.     

Electrochemical methods for monitoring of environmental carcinogens

The use of modern electroanalytical techniques, namely differential pulse polarography, differential pulse voltammetry on hanging mercury drop electrode or carbon paste electrode, adsorptive stripping voltammetry and high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection for the determination of trace amounts of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, azo compounds, heterocyclic compounds, nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic and heterocyclic amines is discussed. Scope and limitations of these methods are described and some practical applications based on their combination with liquid-liquid or solid phase extraction are given.     

An electroanalytical study of the anticancer drug dacarbazine

The electrochemical behaviour of dacarbazine [5-(3,3-dimethyl-1-triazenyl) imidazole-4-carboxamide; DTIC] was investigated by Tast and differential pulse polarography (d.p.p.) at the dropping mercury electrode, by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode and by anodic voltammetry at the glassy carbon electrode. Calibration graphs were obtained for 2×10^?8?2×10^?5 M DTIC by d.p.p., for 5×10^?9?1×10^?5 M by adsorptive stripping voltammetry ar a hanging mercury drop electrode, and for 1?10×10^?5 M by high-performance liquid chromatography with oxidative amperometric detection at a glassy carbon electrode. The methods are compared and applied to determine DTIC added to blood serum after a simple clean-up procedure.     

Electrochemical determination of N,N-dimethyl-4-amino-4′-aminoazobenzene

N,N-Dimethyl-4-amino-4′-aminoazobenzene has been determined using differential pulse polarography. Fast-scan modification and linear-scan voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode was used with a detection limit of less than 10⁻⁸ mol liter⁻¹. Differential pulse polarography was then used to analyze mixtures of the above depolarizer with azobenzene and N,N-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene, either directly, or after a TLC separation.     

The determination of copper,lead and cadmium in sea water by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry

The effect of various instrumental parameters is investigated and optimized conditions established. The results are in accordance with the theory of differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. Both a hanging mercury drop electrode, and a rotating glassy carbon electrode mercury plated in situ were used. The best detection limit is obtained with the mercury film electrode, but the hanging mercury drop electrode is more reproducible. The differential pulse stripping technique is compared to linear sweep stripping, and increased sensitivity and better peak separation is demonstrated for the former technique, particularly when a hanging mercury drop electrode is used. However, the differential pulse technique will also improve the detection limit for a mercury film electrode, if the electrode has a non-ideal response with a corresponding high background current.     

Separation of nitroimidazoles by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography

A mixture of eight N-substituted and unsubstituted nitroimidazoles has been separated by high-pressure liquid chromatography with 5% ethanol as the eluent. Compounds with the same capacity ratios were selectively detected electrochemically by differential pulse polarography with a hanging mercury drop electrode. The HMDE detector had higher detection limits than the photometric detector set at 315 nm.     

Differential pulse polarographic determination of cyanuric chloride

Cyanuric chloride (2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine) can be determined by fastscan differential pulse polarography in methanolic acetate buffer solution at pH 5.6 at a hanging mercury drop electrode. At positive potentials, the insoluble salt formed between cyanuric chloride and mercury(I) is adsorbed on the mercury surface and the d.p.p. current is enhanced. The detection limit is 0.2gmg ml^?1. Cyanuric chloride in air can be determined after absorption in methanol.     

Iodimetric determination of hydrazine and hydroquinone with thallium(III) solutions

SeIenium(IV) at trace levels can be determined in hydrochloric and perchloric acid solutions by alternating current and differential pulse polarography. The use of a hanging mercury drop electrode with accumulation of elemental selenium followed by cathodic stripping gives detection limits in the range 0.1–1 p.p.b. With a dropping mercury electrode the detection limit is 8 p.p.b. The possible interferences of Te(IV), Ge(IV), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) are discussed. The serious interference of lead(II) can be prevented by addition of EDTA.     

Absorptive accumulation in stripping voltammetry

A critical evaluation of adsorptive accumulation in stripping analysis, with differential pulse polarography for the measurement step, is described. Generally applicable conditions for this method are given. Adsorptive accumulation at a static mercury drop electrode is discussed for some alkaloids, local anaesthetics, surfactants and inorganic ions. Concentrations of 10^-6—10^-8 M are usually measurable.     

Polarographic and voltammetric determination of trace amounts of 2-nitronaphthalene

The polarographic behaviour of 2-nitronaphthalene was investigated by DC tast polarography (DCTP) and differential pulse polarography (DPP), both at a dropping mercury electrode, and differential pulse voltammetry and adsorptive stripping voltammetry, both at a hanging mercury drop electrode. Optimum conditions have been found for the determination of 2-nitronaphthalene by the given methods in the concentration ranges of 2×10^–6–1×10^–4, 2×10^–7–1×10^–4, 1×10^–8–1×10^–4 and 2×10^–9–1×10^–8 M, respectively. Practical applicability of these techniques was demonstrated by the determination of 2-nitronaphthalene in drinking and river water after its preliminary separation and preconcentration using liquid–liquid and solid-phase extraction with limits of determination of 3×10^–10 M (drinking water) and 3×10^–9 M (river water).     

Polarographic determination of thiabendazole

Summary Polarographic Determination of Thiabendazole Thiabendazole is used as a fungistat on citrus fruit to protect it from decay.In order to work out a polarographic determination the electrochemical behaviour of thiabendazole was investigated by sampledd c polarography and differential pulse polarography. Thiabendazole shows one wave or peak in the polarogram, when a short drop time (0.4 s) is used. Detection is most sensitive at pH 8. The current measured is proportional to the concentration. The detection limit is 0.5 ppm.By evaluating further experimental data it was possible to conclude, that mercury is first oxidised. Thereby two electrons are exchanged. Then mercury(II) ions formed in this way react with two molecules thiabendazole. Two protons are involved in this chemical process.Applying drop times greater than 0.4 s and concentrations higher than 1.5·10^–4 M a polarogram with two peaks is formed. This is due to the adsorption of the reaction product.For quantitative determination several citrus fruits were peeled and the peels were extracted with ethylacetate. After removing interfering substances by shaking with sodium hydroxide solution, thiabendazole was extracted by diluted hydrochloric acid and quantitatively determined by differential pulse polarography. The recovery of thiabendazole is 70.0% with a relative standard deviation of 2.9%. For all samples investigated the thiabendazole concentrations were below the permitted value.Cordially dedicated to Univ.-Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. K. Kratzl on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of chlordiazepoxide at the hanging mercury drop electrode

Controlled adsorptive accumulation at the hanging mercury drop electrode enables 0.8–11 × 10^?5 M chlordiazepoxide to be quantified by differential-pulse stripping voltammetry with accumulation times of 1–3 min. With 3-min accumulation, the peak current is enhanced 12-fold for 1.0 × 10^?7 M chlordiazepoxide compared to the current from differential pulse polarography. The detection limit is 0.9 × 10^?9 M for 4-min accumulation. The procedure is applied to spiked human serum after preseparation of the drug on a Sep-Pak C₁₈ cartridge.     

Modified normal pulse polarography of alkali-metal ions in acid solution

Well-defined polarograms of five alkali-metal ions in 0.01M hydrochloric acid were obtained by means of modified normal pulse polarography. The method uses the procedure of anodic stripping chronoamperometry during the life-time of a drop from a dropping mercury electrode, namely preparation of electrode, accumulating step and anodic stripping step of a metal. The instantaneous polarographic currents were sampled only once per mercury drop after the fall of each pulse. The wave heights for alkali-metal ions by the present method are free from the interference caused by 0.01M hydrochloric acid. The present method is applicable to monitoring of alkali-metal ions in fluid acid streams.     

Determination of Benzoylmetronidazole in Suspension Formulations by Differential Pulse Polarography

Abstract

A rapid, reproducible and accurate method for the determination of benzoylmetronidazole in pharmaceutical suspensions is presented. Differential pulse polarography at a static mercury drop electrode is used for the reduction of the nitro group of benzoylmetronidazole.