A detailed analysis of the polarographic behaviour of methylene blue in phosphate buffer on mercury

Polarographic current-potential characteristics and current-time curves for the reduction of methylene blue (MB) to methylene blue leucoform (MBL) in a pH 7.9 aqueous phosphate buffer have been examined in detail over a wide concentration range. It has thus been shown that the so called “normal” or “main” reduction wave of MB actually consists of two separate steps, the former with a half-wave potential practically coinciding with the formal potential E₀=?0.250 V/SCE of the MB/MBL couple and the latter with a half-wave potential of about ?0.310 V/SCE. As soon as the well-known MB adsorption prewave has attained its maximum height (which occurs at a MB bulk concentration c₀^*?5×10^?5M), a further slight increase in c₀^* causes the appearance of the wave with E_1/2=?0.310 V. The height of the linear potential-sweep voltammetric peak corresponding to the latter wave increases proportionally to the sweep rate, thus revealing the “adsorption” nature of this wave. A comparison with a previous chronocoulometric investigation of the MB/MBL system has permitted us to conclude that the wave with E_1/2=?0.310 V is due to reduction of the MB molecules which, after having reached the surface of the dropping electrode by diffusion, are adsorbed at the top of the adsorbed monolayer of MBL in direct contact with the electrode and remain in this adsorbed state after reduction. For c₀^*>7×10^?5M the wave with E_1/2?E₀=?0.250 V starts to develop. This wave is due to the electroformation of MBL molecules which diffuse back into the solution. The shape of polarographic current-potential characteristics and current-time curves has been accounted for semiquantitatively through an approximate solution of the corresponding diffusional problem.