Voltammetric

Evans D FI 1991 Review of voltammetric methods for the study of electrode reactions Microelectrodes Theory and Applications (Nate ASI Series E vol 197) ed M I Montenegro, M A Queiros and J L Daschbach (Dordrecht Kluwer)... 

Taguchi S and Aramata A 1995 Voltammetric study of underpotentiai deposition (upd) of Zn " ions on Pt(111) effect of adsorbed anion J. Electroanal. Chem. 396 131 -7... 

Franke and co-workers evaluated a standard additions method for a voltammetric determination of Tl. A summary of their results is tabulated here. 

In voltammetry a time-dependent potential is applied to an electrochemical cell, and the current flowing through the cell is measured as a function of that potential. A plot of current as a function of applied potential is called a voltammogram and is the electrochemical equivalent of a spectrum in spectroscopy, providing quantitative and qualitative information about the species involved in the oxidation or reduction reaction.The earliest voltammetric technique to be introduced was polarography, which was developed by Jaroslav Heyrovsky... 

A typical arrangement for a voltammetric electrochemical cell is shown in Figure 11.28. Besides the working, reference, and auxiliary electrodes, the cell also includes a N2 purge line for removing dissolved O2 and an optional stir bar. Electrochemical cells are available in a variety of sizes, allowing for the analysis of solution volumes ranging from more than 100 mL to as small as 50 )+L. 

The flux of material to and from the electrode surface is a complex function of all three modes of mass transport. In the limit in which diffusion is the only significant means for the mass transport of the reactants and products, the current in a voltammetric cell is given by... 

Influence of the Kinetics of Electron Transfer on the Faradaic Current The rate of mass transport is one factor influencing the current in a voltammetric experiment. The ease with which electrons are transferred between the electrode and the reactants and products in solution also affects the current. When electron transfer kinetics are fast, the redox reaction is at equilibrium, and the concentrations of reactants and products at the electrode are those specified by the Nernst equation. Such systems are considered electrochemically reversible. In other systems, when electron transfer kinetics are sufficiently slow, the concentration of reactants and products at the electrode surface, and thus the current, differ from that predicted by the Nernst equation. In this case the system is electrochemically irreversible. 

A number of voltammetric experiments are routinely used in quantitative and qualitative analyses. Several of these methods are briefly described in this section. 

Stripping Voltammetry One of the most important quantitative voltammetric techniques is stripping voltammetry, which is composed of three related techniques anodic, cathodic, and adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Since anodic strip-... 

Ampcromctry The final voltammetric technique to be considered is amperome-try, in which a constant potential is applied to the working electrode, and current is measured as a function of time. Since the potential is not scanned, amperometry does not lead to a voltammogram. 

Selecting the Voltammetric Technique The choice of which voltammetric technique to use depends on the sample s characteristics, including the analyte s expected concentration and the location of the sample. Amperometry is best suited for use as a detector in flow systems or as a selective sensor for the rapid analysis of a single analyte. The portability of amperometric sensors, which are similar to po-tentiometric sensors, make them ideal for field studies. 

Correcting for Residual Current In any quantitative analysis the signal due to the analyte must be corrected for signals arising from other sources. The total measured current in any voltammetric experiment, itot> consists of two parts that due to the analyte s oxidation or reduction, and a background, or residual, current, ir. 

Description of Method. The amount of chlorpromazine in a pharmaceutical formulation is determined voltammetrically at a graphite working electrode in a nonstirred solution. Calibration is achieved using the method of standard additions. 

In the previous section we saw how voltammetry can be used to determine the concentration of an analyte. Voltammetry also can be used to obtain additional information, including verifying electrochemical reversibility, determining the number of electrons transferred in a redox reaction, and determining equilibrium constants for coupled chemical reactions. Our discussion of these applications is limited to the use of voltammetric techniques that give limiting currents, although other voltammetric techniques also can be used to obtain the same information. 

Scale of Operation Voltammetry is routinely used to analyze samples at the parts-per-million level and, in some cases, can be used to detect analytes at the parts-per-billion or parts-per-trillion level. Most analyses are carried out in conventional electrochemical cells using macro samples however, microcells are available that require as little as 50 pL of sample. Microelectrodes, with diameters as small as 2 pm, allow voltammetric measurements to be made on even smaller samples. For example, the concentration of glucose in 200-pm pond snail neurons has been successfully monitored using a 2-pm amperometric glucose electrode. ... 

Accuracy The accuracy of a voltammetric analysis often is limited by the ability to correct for residual currents, particularly those due to charging. For analytes at the parts-per-million level, accuracies of+1-3% are easily obtained. As expected, a decrease in accuracy is experienced when analyzing samples with significantly smaller concentrations of analyte. 

Sensitivity In many voltammetric experiments, sensitivity can be improved by adjusting the experimental conditions. For example, in stripping voltammetry, sensitivity is improved by increasing the deposition time, by increasing the rate of the linear potential scan, or by using a differential-pulse technique. One reason for the popularity of potential pulse techniques is an increase in current relative to that obtained with a linear potential scan. 

Time, Cost, and Equipment Commercial instrumentation for voltammetry ranges from less than 1000 for simple instruments to as much as 20,000 for more sophisticated instruments. In general, less expensive instrumentation is limited to linear potential scans, and the more expensive instruments allow for more complex potential-excitation signals using potential pulses. Except for stripping voltammetry, which uses long deposition times, voltammetric analyses are relatively rapid. 

In voltammetry we measure the current in an electrochemical cell as a function of the applied potential. Individual voltammetric methods differ in terms of the type of electrode used, how the applied potential is changed, and whether the transport of material to the electrode s surface is enhanced by stirring. 

Amperometry is a voltammetric method in which a constant potential is applied to the electrode and the resulting current is measured. Amperometry is most often used in the construction of chemical sensors that, as with potentiometric sensors, are used for the quantitative analysis of single analytes. One important example, for instance, is the Clark O2 electrode, which responds to the concentration of dissolved O2 in solutions such as blood and water. 

The final set of experiments provide examples of voltammetric and amperometric analyses. 

Herrera-Melian, J. A. Dona-Rodriguez, J. M. Hernandez-Brito, J. et al. Voltammetric Determination of Ni and Co in Water Samples, /. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 1444-1445. 

Conditions are controlled, such that equation 13.20 is valid. The reaction is monitored by following the rate of change in the concentration of dissolved O2 using an appropriate voltammetric technique. 

The determination of such compounds was measured by their effect on the oxidation signal of tire guairine peak of calf tlrymus DNA immobilised on tire electrode surface and investigated by chronopotentiometric or voltammetric analysis. Applicability to river and wastewater samples is demonstrated. 

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