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.     

Anodic stripping voltammetry of germanium at the hanging mercury drop electrode

The Ge(IV)—Ge(0) system was investigated by cyclic and stripping voltammetry at HMDE in acidic pyrogallol medium and in phosphate, borate and carbonate buffers. It was found that germanium electrodeposited from dilute Ge(IV) solutions dissolved anodically forming two peaks corresponding to the oxidation of the unstable homogeneous and stable heterogeneous amalgams. Both peaks can be exploited analytically for the determination of traces of germanium but due to the complex nature of the germanium amalgam the sensitivity and reproducibility of the determinations are lower compared to the results obtained for metals well-soluble in mercury.     

Cathodic stripping voltammetry of 2-thioorotic acid at the hanging mercury drop electrode

Controlled adsorptive accumulation of 2-thioorotic acid (6-carboxy-2-thiouracil) on the hanging mercury drop electrode provides the basis for the direct stripping measurement of that compound in the nanomolar concentration level. Differential pulse voltammetry, following 3 min preconcentration, yields a detection limit of 5.0×10^-10 M 2-thioorotic acid. The cathodic stripping response is evaluated with respect to experimental parameters such as preconcentration time and potential, bulk concentration and others. Best results are obtained using a 0.001 M NaOH electrolyte.Two different methods of cathodic stripping voltammetry can be proposed for the determination of 2-thioorotic acid and the reproducibility of these methods is studied.     

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry of Tartrazine at the hanging mercury drop electrode in soft drinks

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry was used for the determination of trace amounts of the dye Tartrazine (E-102) by square-wave (SWS) and differential pulse techniques (DPS). Its adsorptive voltammetric behaviour was investigated at different pH media. NH₄Cl/NH₃ buffer solution was chosen as the most suitable, taking into account the sensitivity and definition of the reduction peaks obtained. The effects of the experimental parameters on the determination are discussed. Standard deviations of 3.3% and 2.6% were obtained by SWS and DPS for 100 and 50 μg/L Tartrazine solutions, respectively (n = 10). Both methods were applied to determine the dye in several commercial soft drinks, containing very small amounts of it. Measurements were made directly in the commercial samples. A comparison of the results obtained by the proposed voltammetric methods with those of an HPLC method was also made. Good correlations between the voltammetric results and the values supplied by the manufacturer were found, whereas recoveries of the same order of magnitude were obtained by the HPLC method. Received: 23 May 1996 / Revised: 5 July 1996 / Accepted: 10 July 1996     

Simultaneous determination of tin and lead by a.c. anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode sensitized by cetyltrimethylammoniu

The influence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on the simultaneous determination of tin(IV) and lead(II) by anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) in a 0.1 M hydrochloric acid—0.1 M oxalic acid medium was studied using d.c. and a.c. stripping. In the presence of CTAB, tin and lead show voltammetric peaks separated by 100 mV, the sensitivity depending on the concentration of CTAB. The best conditions for the simultaneous determination of both elements (2 × 10^-3 M) were found. A method is proposed for the determination of tin in the presence of lead and three procedures are given for the determination of lead in the presence of tin.     

Determination of arsenic by cathodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode

Arsenic (III), respectively arsenic(V) after the reduction were determined in model solutions and some inorganic and organic materials by fast scan differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry and by direct current cathodic stripping voltammetry with a rapid increase of potential. The accumulation on a hanging mercury drop electrode followed by cathodic stripping was carried out in 0.7–0.8M HCl or 1–2M H₂SO₄ solutions containing Cu(II)-ions. Detection limits calculated from regression parameters was determined to be under 1 ng/ml for the samples containing very low arsenic concentrations. The relative standard deviation did not reach 8% for arsenic contents about of 5 ng/ml.     

Catalytic cathodic stripping voltammetry of oxidized glutathione at a hanging mercury drop electrode in the presence of nickel ion

Oxidized glutathione (GSSG) can be determined after previous accumulation on the HMDE at E > -0.2 V (vs. the Ag AgCl reference electrode). GSH is formed during the accumulation, possibly by a mercury-ion-assisted hydrolytic disproportionation of GSSG. In the subsequent cathodic scan GSH is released and catalyses the reduction of nickel ion, giving a peak located at -0.6 V. This enables the determination of GSSG by differential-pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry at pH 7.0 in the phosphate acetate or MOPS buffer containing 0.5-1.0 mM Ni(II). The detection limit is 10 nM. The calibration graph is linear even in the presence of small amounts of human serum albumin, HSA. However, HSA increases the detection limit (20 nM for 3 x 10(-4)% HSA). Acetyl-cysteine in small excess or Cu(II) present as reagent impurity do not interfere. Glutathione, cysteine and similar compounds, which accumulate as mercury salts and form stable nickel complexes, will interfere. The method is put forward as a novel alternative stripping voltammetric method to those involving accumulation and determination as mercury or copper salts and complexes, in the knowledge that it may have advantages in particular analytical situations. In particular the method discriminates against compounds which accumulate as mercury salts but which do not form stable nickel complexes.     

Increased sensitivity of anodic stripping voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode by ultracathodic deposition

An improved approach to the anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV) determination of heavy metals, using the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), is reported. It was discovered that using very cathodic accumulation potentials, at which the solvent reduction occurs (overpotential deposition), the voltammetric signals of zinc(II), cadmium(II), lead(II) and copper(II) increase. When compared with the classical methodology a 5 to 10-fold signal increase is obtained. This effect is likely due to both mercury drop oscillation at such cathodic potentials and added local convection at the mercury drop surface caused by the evolution of hydrogen bubbles.     

Cathodic stripping voltammetry of technetium in the tetraphenylarsonium chloride/chloroform extract at a hanging mercury drop electrode

Technetium(VII) was separated from interfering substances by extraction with 0.01M tetraphenylarsonium chloride in chloroform. To avoid back-extraction, enrichment at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) has been carried out directly in the organic phase after addition of 0.01M NaOH as an electrolyte and ethanol as a homogenized agent. By application of a deposition voltage of –1.6 V, as well as DPCSV, a distinct current signal at –0.26 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) was obtained. The detection limit was found to be 3·10^–8 M Tc.     

Comparison of constant-current stripping chronopotentiometry and anodic stripping voltammetry in metal speciation studies using mercury drop and film electrodes

Capabilities for heavy metal speciation of anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and constant-current stripping chronopotentiometry (SCP) in both mercury drop (HMDE) and mercury film rotating disk (MFE-RDE) electrodes are compared. For this purpose, the Cd(II)–glycine and Cd(II)–polymethacrylate (PMA) systems are used as models of simple labile and macromolecular labile complexes adsorbing onto the electrode, respectively. The results suggest that SCP could be a valuable alternative to the more widespread ASV in this kind of study. Concerning the electrode, the MFE-RDE is less user-friendly than the HMDE, but presents a better definition of both the hydrodynamic conditions during the deposition step and the stripping regime during the oxidation. An important interference in SCP is the dissolved oxygen, which can be minimised by combining relatively large oxidation currents and low stirring rates. Moreover, for Cd–PMA, double peaks have been observed in both ASV and SCP, which seems to be due to the lack of enough ligand excess to complex the metal ions released by the amalgam oxidation. Anyway, this problem can be minimised by optimising the rotation rate of the electrode and ensuring enough ligand excess.     

Reliability of background current subtraction in anodic stripping voltammetry at mercury film electrodes

The effectiveness and accuracy of the correction for background current in subtractive anodic stripping voltammetry at rotating mercury film electrodes are discussed. The effects of different experimental parameters on the subtracted baseline are examined. Long deposition periods, at extreme potentials, result in large errors in the background correction. The incomplete background correction is attributed mainly to changes in the morphology of the working electrode. Different approaches for obtaining the subtractive stripping response are compared. Errors are reduced when subtractive differential pulse stripping is used at different convection rates, resulting in a detection limit of 2 × 10^-9 M cadmium with 1-min deposition. Cadmium, lead, and zinc ions at nano molar concentrations were used as test ions.     

Parameter evaluation for the determination of selenium by cathodic stripping voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode

The behaviour of selenium(IV) in cathodic stripping voltammetry is evaluated systematically. The effects of copper concentration, pH, deposition potential and complexing agents on the stripping peak are examined and criteria are given for the choice of suitable quantitative parameters. The detection limit was found to be 20 ng l^?1 and the background contamination level was 35 ng l^?1. Zinc and lead do not affect the determination of selenium if EDTA is added to the solution whereas cadmium interferes badly; the corresponding mechanisms are discussed.     

Indirect determination of lutetium by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode

Lutetium has been determined by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry in an acidic solution containing Zn-EDTA. Lutetium (III) ions liberated zinc (II), which was preconcentrated on a hanging mercury drop electrode and stripped anodically, resulting in peak current linearly dependent on lutetium (III) concentration. Less than 0.4 ng mL⁻¹ lutetium could be detected after a 2 min deposition.      

Differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine at a hanging mercury drop electrode

The behaviour of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine (GHG) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry after their adsorptive accumulation on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The nature of the observed cathodic and anodic peaks was established and optimum conditions were found for the differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetric detemination of GHG at the 1 x 10(-8)M concentration level using adsorptive accumulation at -0.20 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode and the cathodic stripping peak around -0.4 V (pH 8.3). This peak corresponds to the reduction of the Cu(I)-GHG complex formed at the HMDE surface as an intermediate in the reduction of Cu(II)-GHG to Cu(O)amalgam.     

The determination of zinc,cadmium, lead and copper in human hair by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode after nitrate fusion

Samples of hair are digested with nitric acid and fused with alkali metal nitrates, prior to the determination of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode. Recoveries from spiked samples range from 91 to 101%. Relative standard deviations vary from 2.6 to 13%, depending on the metal and sample source. Some causes of poor reproducibility are discussed.     

Determination of naringin in grapefruit juice by cathodic stripping differential pulse voltammetry at the hanging mercury drop electrode

A highly sensitive cathodic stripping voltammetric method for the determination of naringin is presented. It is based on the formation and accumulation of two naringin–mercury complexes at the electrode surface, followed by reduction of the surface species during a differential pulse voltammetric scan. The cathodic stripping responses at −0.25 V and −0.42 V, are evaluated with respect to various experimental conditions, such as composition and pH of the supporting electrolyte, naringin concentration, accumulation potential and preconcentration time. The new method is suitable for the determination of naringin concentrations between 0.1 mg l⁻¹ (1.72×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹) and 40 mg l⁻¹ (6.88×10⁻⁵ mol l⁻¹). A 3σ limit of detection of 32 μg l⁻¹ (55 nmol l⁻¹) can be reached. The relative standard deviation (r.s.d.) is <1.5%. Recovery experiments yielded a mean recovery of 97% (r.s.d.=4.1%). The application of the procedure to the selective determination of naringin in grapefruit juice is demonstrated.     

Signal stability of Nafion-coated thin mercury film electrodes for stripping voltammetry

The signal stability of the Nafion-coated thin mercury film electrode (NCTMFE) was studied by using cadmium and lead as test analytes and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry as detection method. In particular, the effect of the casting solvent and the curing procedure employed in the preparation of the polymer film was examined. Best results were obtained with N,N-dimethylacetamide as casting solvent and a two-step curing procedure in which the polymer was evaporated to dryness at 55 degrees and cured at 105 degrees with a hot-air gun. Mercury plating was performed ex situ. An NCTMFE prepared in this manner has a better signal stability than ex situ-plated as well as in situ-plated conventional mercury film electrodes.     

Indirect determination of formaldehyde by alternating-current voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop in the presence of oxygen

An alternating-current voltammetric procedure has been developed for the indirect determination of formaldehyde as its hydrazone at a stationary hanging mercury drop over the formaldehyde concentration range from 0.2 to 15 mg/L in a buffer solution of pH 5.6 ± 0.4 without removing dissolved oxygen. An EKOTEST-VA miniature voltammetric analyzer connected to a computer was used. The detection limit for formaldehyde in the proposed procedure was 0.2 mg/L.     

Cathodic stripping voltammetry of copper-complexed reactive dyes at a hanging mercury drop electrode: Reactive violet 5

Reactive Violet 5 and its hydrolysis product, which is produced as a side product in the dyeing process, can be determined in an admixture at sub-ppb levels by cathodic stripping voltammetry because the potentials of their azo reduction peaks are separated sufficiently. For both dyes, at intermediate pH values the azo peak is preceded by a complexed -copper reduction peak at a less negative potential, which aids the identification of the dyes. The use of pH 6 EDTA buffer removes the complexed-copper peak, as does the use of an acidic buffer (pH < 3). This unusual use of EDTA as a pH buffer facilitates the determination of mixtures of the dye and its hydrolysis product.