Voltammetric trace determination of ubiquinones at mercury electrodes

Summary Voltammetric methods were developed for the determination of ubiquinones on the basis of their adsorption and redox behaviour at mercury electrodes. Linear calibration plots were obtained in the concentration range between 10^–4 mol/l and 2.3·10^–5 mol/l from differential pulse voltammetric measurements under experimental conditions avoiding significant adsorption of the analyte. A remarkable decrease of the detection limit down to 10^–7 mol/l was achieved with the help of adsorptive accumulation of ubiquinone molecules at the mercury electrode followed by differential pulse detection. The resulting non-linear calibration plot was explained with a model, which takes into account both adsorption and diffusion of the analyte.