Voltammetric determination of pentachlorophenol with a silica gel-modified carbon paste electrode

Summary The anodic voltammetric behaviour of pentachlorophenol at a silica gel-modified carbon paste electrode in aqueous solution is reported. Adsorption of the fungicide onto the electrode under open-circuit conditions is followed by application of either differential or square wave voltammetry. The results obtained by differential pulse voltammetry at pH 2.9, with a modifier concentration of 10% and accumulation times of 120 and 300 s, allowed the development of a method to determine pentachlorophenol in the ranges of 1.0×10⁻⁶–1.0×10⁻⁵ and 1.0×10⁻⁷–1.0×10⁻⁶ mol l⁻¹. The relative standard deviation is 2.6% for a concentration of 2.0×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹, with a detection limit of 1.8×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ (5 ppb). The effect of other chlorophenols was studied. The results obtained by square wave voltammetry showed a behaviour typical of an irreversible electron transfer. Amplitude, step height and frequency were optimised, taking into account the resolution of the voltammetric response. No improvement in sensitivity was obtained with respect to DPV. Good results were obtained by applying the proposed differential-pulse voltammetric method to the determination of pentachlorophenol in a commercial fungicide.