Cathodic and anodic stripping determination of traces of adenine and adenosine based on accumulation of copper(I) compounds at mercury or amalgam electrodes

In the presence of adenine and adenosine, the copper(II)/copper(Hg) couple splits to the copper(II)/copper(I) and copper(I)/copper(Hg) couples. Sparingly soluble complexes of copper(I) with adenine and adenosine can be accumulated on the electrode surface either by reduction of Cu(II) ions or by oxidation of the copper amalgam electrode. The copper(I)/adenine deposit can be stripped either cathodically or anodically with detection limits of 5×10^?9 and 2×10^?8 mol dm^?3, respectively. The copper(I)/ adenosine complex yields only the cathodic stripping peak with a detection limit of 9×10^?6 mol dm^?3. The stripping peaks obtained for the copper(I)/adenine and copper(I)/ adenosine complexes are better defined and appear over a wider range of pH than the peaks related to the corresponding mercury compounds. Adenosine cannot be determined in the presence of adenine bur adenine can be determined in the presence of moderate amounts of adenosine.