Ions analysis, voltammetry

Polarographic AC and pulse polarographic techniques as well as stripping analysis are effective tools for the determination of trace levels of metal ions. Table 3.1 provides a comparison of the sensitivity and usefulness of the various methods.12,21 23 For metal ions, stripping voltammetry usually is the method... 

The ion transfer voltammetry and potentiometry of acetylcholine with the interface between polymer-nitrobenzene gel and water was reported by Kakutani et al. [13]. The polyvinyl chloride-nitrobenzene gel electrode was prepared by Osakai et al. [14], and the transfer of acetylcholine ions across the interface between the gel electrode and water was studied by cyclic voltammetry, potential step chronoamperometry, and potentiometry. The interface between the two immiscible electrolyte solutions acted as the ion selective electrode surface for the analysis of acetylcholine ions. 

All analysts are familiar with the principles of potentiometry and potarography and indeed, most analytical laboratories will contain a pH meter and a polarograph. However, electrochemical methods arc, in general, not very important in modern analysis. In contrast, there arc spccifiG applications such as trace metal ion analysis in water and effluents and also some other aspects of environmental analysis for which electrochemical methods are particularly attractive. This is because (1) some methods, especially anodic stripping voltammetry, have a very high sensitivity for heavy-metal ions and the lowest detection limit of from 10 to mol dm is well below that of other available methods (2) electrochemical methods are well suited for modification to on-line and/or portable devices for analysis in the held. Whether the analysis is based on current, conductivity or the response of an ion-selective electrode, both the cell and the control electronics are readily miniaturized and operate on low power Hence, this chapter considers the principles of the electroanalytical methods important in environmental and on-line analysis, together with biochemical applications of electrochemical sensors. 

Pretreatment of the collected particulate matter may be required for chemical analysis. Pretreatment generally involves extraction of the particulate matter into a liquid. The solution may be further treated to transform the material into a form suitable for analysis. Trace metals may be determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA), emission spectroscopy, polarogra-phy, and anodic stripping voltammetry. Analysis of anions is possible by colorimetric techniques and ion chromatography. Sulfate (S04 ), sulfite (SO-, ), nitrate (NO3 ), chloride Cl ), and fluoride (F ) may be determined by ion chromatography (15). 

Electrical methods of analysis (apart from electrogravimetry referred to above) involve the measurement of current, voltage or resistance in relation to the concentration of a certain species in solution. Techniques which can be included under this general heading are (i) voltammetry (measurement of current at a micro-electrode at a specified voltage) (ii) coulometry (measurement of current and time needed to complete an electrochemical reaction or to generate sufficient material to react completely with a specified reagent) (iii) potentiometry (measurement of the potential of an electrode in equilibrium with an ion to be determined) (iv) conductimetry (measurement of the electrical conductivity of a solution). 

Anodic shipping voltammetry (ASV) is the most widely used form of stripping analysis, hi this case, the metals are preconcenhated by elechodeposition into a small-volume mercury electrode (a tiiin mercury film or a hanging mercury drop). The preconcenhation is done by catiiodic deposition at a controlled tune and potential. The deposition potential is usually 0.3-0.5 V more negative than E° for the least easily reduced metal ion to be determined. The metal ions reach die mercury electrode by diffusion and convection, where diey are reduced and concentrated as amalgams ... 

The concentration of the transferred ion in organic solution inside the pore can become much higher than its concentration in the bulk aqueous phase [15]. (This is likely to happen if r <5c d.) In this case, the transferred ion may react with an oppositely charged ion from the supporting electrolyte to form a precipitate that can plug the microhole. This may be one of the reasons why steady-state measurements at the microhole-supported ITIES are typically not very accurate and reproducible [16]. Another problem with microhole voltammetry is that the exact location of the interface within the hole is unknown. The uncertainty of and 4, values affects the reliability of the evaluation of the formal transfer potential from Eq. (5). The latter value is essential for the quantitative analysis of IT kinetics [17]. Because of the above problems no quantitative kinetic measurements employing microhole ITIES have been reported to date and the theory for kinetically controlled CT reactions has yet to be developed. 

To date, a few methods have been proposed for direct determination of trace iodide in seawater. The first involved the use of neutron activation analysis (NAA) [86], where iodide in seawater was concentrated by strongly basic anion-exchange column, eluted by sodium nitrate, and precipitated as palladium iodide. The second involved the use of automated electrochemical procedures [90] iodide was electrochemically oxidised to iodine and was concentrated on a carbon wool electrode. After removal of interference ions, the iodine was eluted with ascorbic acid and was determined by a polished Ag3SI electrode. The third method involved the use of cathodic stripping square wave voltammetry [92] (See Sect. 2.16.3). Iodine reacts with mercury in a one-electron process, and the sensitivity is increased remarkably by the addition of Triton X. The three methods have detection limits of 0.7 (250 ml seawater), 0.1 (50 ml), and 0.02 pg/l (10 ml), respectively, and could be applied to almost all the samples. However, NAA is not generally employed. The second electrochemical method uses an automated system but is a special apparatus just for determination of iodide. The first and third methods are time-consuming. 

Stripping voltammetry or stripping analysis has a special place in electrochemistry because of its extensive application in trace metal analysis. Stripping voltammetry (SV) is a two-step process as shown schematically in Fig. 18b. 12. In the first step, the metal ion is reduced to metal on a mercury electrode (thin mercury film on glassy carbon or a HMDE) as amalgam. 

Most of our understanding of the marine chemistry of trace metals rests on research done since 1970. Prior to this, the accuracy of concentration measurements was limited by lack of instrumental sensitivity and contamination problems. The latter is a consequence of the ubiquitous presence of metal in the hulls of research vessels, paint, hydrowires, sampling bottles, and laboratories. To surmount these problems, ultra-clean sampling and analysis techniques have been developed. New methods such as anodic stripping voltammetry are providing a means by which concentration measurements can be made directly in seawater and pore waters. Most other methods require the laborious isolation of the trace metals from the sample prior to analysis to eliminate interferences caused by the highly concentrated major ions. 

Cadmium in acidified aqueous solution may be analyzed at trace levels by various instrumental techniques such as flame and furnace atomic absorption, and ICP emission spectrophotometry. Cadmium in solid matrices is extracted into aqueous phase by digestion with nitric acid prior to analysis. A much lower detection level may be obtained by ICP-mass spectrometry. Other instrumental techniques to analyze this metal include neutron activation analysis and anodic stripping voltammetry. Cadmium also may be measured in aqueous matrices by colorimetry. Cadmium ions react with dithizone to form a pink-red color that can be extracted with chloroform. The absorbance of the solution is measured by a spectrophotometer and the concentration is determined from a standard calibration curve (APHA, AWWA and WEF. 1999. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th ed. Washington, DC American Public Health Association). The metal in the solid phase may be determined nondestructively by x-ray fluorescence or diffraction techniques. 

Analytical Applications In addition to the above-mentioned analytical aspects of the processes at Hg electrodes, in this section, we briefly review the papers focused on the subject of the affinity of various compounds to the mercury electrode surface, which allowed one to elaborate stripping techniques for the analysis of inorganic ions. Complexes of some metal ions with surface-active ligands were adsorptively accumulated at the mercury surface. After accumulation, the ions were determined, usually applying cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV). Representative examples of such an analytical approach are summarized as follows. 

The electrochemical behavior of Np ions in basic aqueous solutions has been studied by several different groups. In a recent study, cyclic voltammetry experiments were performed in alkali ([OH ] = 0.9 — 6.5 M) and mixed hydroxo-carbonate solutions to determine the redox potentials of Np(V, VI, VII) complexes [97]. As shown in Fig. 2, in 3.1 M LiOH at a Pt electrode Np(VI) displays electrode processes associated with the Np(VI)/Np(V) and Np(VII)/Np(VI) couples, in addition to a single cathodic peak corresponding to the reduction of Np(V) to Np(IV). This latter process at Ep —400 mV (versus Hg/HgO/1 M NaOH) is chemically irreversible in this medium. Analysis of the voltammetric data revealed an electrochemically reversibleNp(VI)/Np(V)... 

Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) is the most common version of stripping analysis. It involves the reduction of a metal ion to the metal (which usually dissolves in mercury, i.e., amalgam formation), as the preconcentration step ... 

Silver nanoparticles 928 Simulations 911 Single ion calibration e313 Single-piece electrode 75 Sinusoidal voltammetry 841 Site-directed deposition of polyelectrolytes 924 Skin e53, e55, e57 analysis e56 SLPT 87, 111... 

Twenty years ago the main applications of electrochemistry were trace-metal analysis (polarography and anodic stripping voltammetry) and selective-ion assay (pH, pNa, pK via potentiometry). A secondary focus was the use of voltammetry to characterize transition-metal coordination complexes (metal-ligand stoichiometry, stability constants, and oxidation-reduction thermodynamics). With the commercial development of (1) low-cost, reliable poten-tiostats (2) pure, inert glassy-carbon electrodes and (3) ultrapure, dry aptotic solvents, molecular characterization via electrochemical methodologies has become accessible to nonspecialists (analogous to carbon-13 NMR and GC/MS). 

---