Measurement with dropping electrode

Electrode processes are often studied under steady-state conditions, for example at a rotating disk electrode or at a ultramicroelectrode. Polarog-raphy with dropping electrode where average currents during the droptime are often measured shows similar features as steady-state methods. The distribution of the concentrations of the oxidized and reduced forms at the surface of the electrode under steady-state conditions is shown in Fig. 5.12. For the current density we have (cf. Eq. (2.7.13))... 

That effect does not occur in measurements with dropping mercury electrodes (DME) and a great effort has been employed to develop an electrode with similar features but without the charging current, sensitivity to vibration and to impurities and, of course, without the need to clean the mercury. Such an universally applicable electrode does not yet exist. For some applications, however, electrodes... 

Fig, 16. Anodic stripping voltammogram for at the hanging mercury drop electrode. (Reprinted with permission from W. R. Heineman, in Water Quality Measurement The Modem Analytical Techniques , (H. B. Mark, Jr. and J. S. Mattson, eds.) Marcel Dekker New York, 1981)... 

The electrolyte dropping electrode has found particular application in the study of ion transfer at the polarized ITIES, with an emphasis on analysis. A range of species have been detected amperometrically by measuring the transport-limited current ... 

In voltammetry as an analytical method based on measurement of the voltage-current curve we can distinguish between techniques with non-stationary and with stationary electrodes. Within the first group the technique at the dropping mercury electrode (dme), the so-called polarography, is by far the most important within the second group it is of particular significance to state whether and when the analyte is stirred. 

OTTLE cells have a considerable IR drop and are thus unsuitable for kinetic measurements. However, bulk electrolysis can be achieved in a few seconds and the whole solution can thus reach quasi-equilibrium with the electrode potential. The cells are generally designed around the use of Teflon spacers, the minimum thickness of which is around 50 pm. This renders the OTTLE cell capable of obtaining both UV-visible and IR spectra of solution species providing that, in the latter case, the solvent employed is not water. 

Van den Berg [510] carried out direct determinations of molybdenum in seawater by adsorption voltammetry. The method is based on complex formation of molybdenum (VI) with 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine) on a hanging mercury drop electrode. The reduction current of adsorbed complexions was measured by differential pulse adsorption voltammetry. The effects of variation of pH and oxine concentration and of the adsorption potential were examined. The method was accurate up to 300 nmol/1. The detection limit was 0.1 nmol/1. 

SWV experiments are usually performed on stationary solid electrodes or static merciuy drop electrodes. The response consists of discrete current-potential points separated by the potential increment AE [1,20-23]. Hence, AE determines the apparent scan rate, which is defined as AE/t, and the density of information in the response, which is a number of current-potential points within a certain potential range. The currents increase proportionally to the apparent scan rate. For better graphical presentation, the points can be interconnected, but the fine between two points has no physical significance, as there is no theoretical reason to interpolate any mathematical function between two experimentally determined current-potential points. The currents measured with smaller A are smaller than the values predicted by the interpolation between two points measured with bigger AE [3]. Frequently, the response is distorted by electronic noise and a smoothing procedure is necessary for its correct interpretation. In this case, it is better if AE is as small as possible. By smoothing, the set of discrete points is transformed into a continuous current-potential curve. Care should be taken that the smoothing procedttre does not distort the square-wave response. 

Oi (Figure 50a). It can be shown that the measured IR drop occurs primarily within a distance d of the electrode with a value given by" ... 

Lobacz et al. [52] have described partial adsorption ofTl+-cryptand (2,2,2) complex on mercury electrode. From voltocoulom-etry, cyclic voltammetry, and chrono-coulometry, it has been deduced that electroreduction of this complex proceeds via two parallel pathways from the solution and from the adsorbed states, which are energetically close. Also, Damaskin and coworkers [53] have studied adsorption of the complexes of alkali metal cations with cryptand (2,2,2) using differential capacity measurements and a stationary drop electrode. It has been found that these complexes exhibit strong adsorption properties. Novotny etal. [54] have studied interfacial activity and adsorptive accumulation of U02 " "-cupferron and UO2 - chloranilic acid complexes on mercury electrodes at various potentials in 0.1 M acetate buffer of pH 4.6 and 0.1 M NaCl04, respectively. 

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