Voltammetric studies of indigo adsorbed on pre-treated carbon paste electrodes

The adsorptive behaviour of indigo on the surface of pre-treated carbon paste electrodes (CPE) has been studied in various aqueous media at different pH, by cyclic (CV) and alternating current voltammetry (ACV). Cyclic voltammograms of this molecule are characterised by two main electrodic processes in the potential range from −0.7 V to +0.9 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/sat. KCl), which are reversible in the pH range of 3–11, these being irreversible when both are recorded at pH 1. The first one at pH 1 becomes purely reversible when the applied potential range is from −0.2 V to +0.2 V and constitutes the best analytical signal. Due to these electrodic features a significant increase in sensitivity was achieved when the signal was recorded by alternating current voltammetry. Indigo was quantified by CV and ACV, in 0.1 M HClO₄ pH 1 and 0.1 M Tris-HCl pH 7.2 solutions. Limits of detection in the sub-nanomolar range were achieved for a 5-min accumulation time by ACV. These data provides useful information about the suitability of this electrodic process as a detection scheme in the development of alkaline phosphatase (AP) based voltammetric affinity devices, in which indigo is generated by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the 3-indoxyl phosphate substrate.