Electrochemical detection detectors

Electrochemical Detectors Another common group of HPLC detectors are those based on electrochemical measurements such as amperometry, voltammetry, coulometry, and conductivity. Figure 12.29b, for example, shows an amperometric flow cell. Effluent from the column passes over the working electrode, which is held at a potential favorable for oxidizing or reducing the analytes. The potential is held constant relative to a downstream reference electrode, and the current flowing between the working and auxiliary electrodes is measured. Detection limits for amperometric electrochemical detection are 10 pg-1 ng of injected analyte. 

Several gas-Hquid chromatographic procedures, using electron-capture detectors after suitable derivatization of the aminophenol isomers, have been cited for the deterrnination of impurities within products and their detection within environmental and wastewater samples (110,111). Modem high pressure Hquid chromatographic separation techniques employing fluorescence (112) and electrochemical (113) detectors in the 0.01 pg range have been described and should meet the needs of most analytical problems (114,115). 

The on-line measurement of reducing capacity can be performed with either a single or a series of electrochemical detectors, and linear correlations have been demonstrated between total antioxidative activities determined by the electrochemical detection and those determined by DPPH- reduction or by the ORAC assay (Guo et al, 1997 Peyrat-Maillard et al, 2000). The reducing capacity must also be quantified by post-column reactions, either with DPPH- or by the reduction of phosphomolybdenum complexes followed by UV-VIS-detection (Bandoniene and Murkovic, 2002 Cardenosa et al, 2002). A combination of HPLC and semi-automatic ORAC analysis has also been described (Caldwell, 2001). 

Whilst for the analysis of plant material for cannabinoids both GC and HPLC are commonly used, in analytical procedures the employment of GC-based methods prevails for human forensic samples. Nonetheless, the usage of HPLC becomes more and more of interest in this field especially in combination with MS [115-120]. Besides the usage of deuterated samples as internal standards Fisher et al. [121] describe the use of a dibrominated THC-COOH (see 7.5). The usage of Thermospray-MS and electrochemical detection provide good performance and can replace the still-used conventional UV detector. Another advantage in the employment of HPLC rather than GC could be the integration of SPE cartridges, which are needed for sample preparation in the HPLC-system. 

Because process mixtures are complex, specialized detectors may substitute for separation efficiency. One specialized detector is the array amperometric detector, which allows selective detection of electrochemically active compounds.23 Electrochemical array detectors are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 5. Many pharmaceutical compounds are chiral, so a detector capable of determining optical purity would be extremely useful in monitoring synthetic reactions. A double-beam circular dichroism detector using a laser as the source was used for the selective detection of chiral cobalt compounds.24 The double-beam, single-source construction reduces the limitations of flicker noise. Chemiluminescence of an ozonized mixture was used as the principle for a sulfur-selective detector used to analyze pesticides, proteins, and blood thiols from rat plasma.25 Chemiluminescence using bis (2,4, 6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate was used for the selective detection of catalytically reduced nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from diesel exhaust.26... 

Microcoulometric titration is used as the detection mode in some commercial sulfur-specific analysers. Sulfur in PP and waxes (range from 0.6 to 6 ppm S) were determined by means of an oxidative coulometric procedure [537]. The coulometric electrochemical array detector was used for determining a variety of synthetic phenolic antioxidants (PG, THBP, TBHQ, NDGA, BHA, OG, Ionox 100, BHT, DG) in food and oils [538],... 

Another interesting method of amperometric detection for LC is dualelectrode electrochemical detection. Instead of a single WE, one can place two WEs in series, parallel to or opposite each other. The series configuration is mostly used, mainly in the collection mode, i.e., the electroactive substance entering the detector is converted at the upstream (generator) electrode into a product that either is or is not detected at the downstream (indicator) electrode, depending on the potential of the latter. Hoogvliet et al.137,162 were easily able... 

ECD = electrochemical detection FID = flame ionization detector GC = gas chromatography HPLC = high performance liquid chromatography M = molar NaOH = sodium hydroxide NR = not reported rpm = revolutions per minute... 

UV detection, diode-array detector (DAD) and fluorescence have been the detection techniques used, coupled to HPLC for the analysis of OTC. UV detection is set at 355 nm [49-51], 350 nm [40], or at 353 nm [52], Using the diode array detector [49] offers advantages that the target peak can be identified by its retention time and absorption spectrum. Compared to UV detection, fluorescence detection is generally more specific and is less interfered by other compounds in the sample matrix [51]. A HPLC method with electrochemical detection has also been suggested recently. Zhao et al. [53] described HPLC with a coulometric electrode array system for the analysis of OTC, TC, CTC, DC, and methacycline (MC) in ovine milk. An amper-ometric detection coupled with HPLC was developed by Kazemifard and Moore [54] for the determination of tetracyclines in pharmaceutical formulations. 

Electrochemical detection is sensitive and selective, and it gives useful information about polyphenolic compounds in addition to spectra obtained by photodiode array detectors. Differences in electrochemically active substituents on analogous structures can lead to characteristic differences in their voltammetric behavior. Because the response profile across several cell potentials is representative of the voltammetric properties of a compound, useful qualitative information can be obtained using electrochemical detection (Aaby and others 2004). 

Aniline, methyl aniline, 1-naphthylamine, and diphenylamine at trace levels were determined using this technique and electrochemical detection. Two electrochemical detectors (a thin-layer, dual glassy-carbon electrode cell and a dual porous electrode system) were compared. The electrochemical behavior of the compounds was investigated using hydrodynamic and cyclic voltammetry. Detection limits of 15 and 1.5nmol/l were achieved using colourimetric and amperometric cells, respectively, when using an in-line preconcentration step. 

Perhaps the most important of all electrochemical detection schemes currently in use is the electrical conductivity detector. This detector is specifically useful for ion exchange, or ion, chromatography in which the analyte is in ionic form. Such ions elute from the column and need to be detected as peaks on the recorder trace. 

High-performance liquid chromatographic separation with electrochemical detection may provide the best sensitivity for phenol quantification in biological samples. The use of gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector may be a more versatile method, if other non-ionic pollutants must be quantified. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods available for the quantification of phenol and metabolites in biological and environmental samples have been discussed by Tesarova and Packova(1983). 

Santagati and associates (2002) reported a method for the determination of amphetamine and one of its metabolites, 4-hydroxynorephedrine by RP-HPLC with precolumn derivatization and amperometric electrochemical detection. The derivatization was performed with 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde as the electroactive reagent. The compounds were separated on a Hypersil ODS RP-18. The detector oxidation was set at +0.6 volts. 

Expansion of Module 3 to include rules for selection of detectors and detector parameters. The rules will handle optical absorbance and fluorescence (including pre- and post-column deri-vatization) and electrochemical detection. 

Electrochemical (EC) detectors have been used for detection in CE. EC methods offer an advantage over the spectroscopic detection methods because electrochemistry that occurs directly at an electrode surface is not limited by the small dimensions inherent in The... 

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