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An Oscillating and Renewing Silver Electrode for Cadmium and Lead Detection in Differential Pulse Stripping Voltammetry
Author(s) -
Mikkelsen Øyvind,
Schrøder Knut H.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
electroanalysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1521-4109
pISSN - 1040-0397
DOI - 10.1002/1521-4109(200105)13:8/9<687::aid-elan687>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - electrode , anodic stripping voltammetry , detection limit , stripping (fiber) , dropping mercury electrode , cadmium , working electrode , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , reproducibility , reference electrode , chemistry , electrochemistry , chromatography , composite material , metallurgy
Issues concerning the use of mercury electrode in environmental analyses has led to considerable research effort aimed at finding alternative tools with acceptable performance. A renewing silver working electrode is investigated. This system has shown a good response to lead and cadmium. Concentrations as low as 10 µg L −1 have been detected for both ions in 0.1 M HCl solutions. The system shows also little interference from copper. A detection limit of 0.5 µg L −1 is estimated for these systems. The electrode system may be used repeatedly without maintenance over a considerable period of time as a new silver film is formed prior to each scan. The silver electrode has been excited, oscillated with both triangular and sinusoidal audio frequency waves. The results indicate that the reproducibility of the response is increased when the electrode is oscillated sinusoidally. A study of the oscillating frequency has also been carried out. The result shows that the detection sensitivity improved considerably when low frequencies typically in the range 40 to 80 Hz are used. Good detection sensitivity, along with the simplicity of use and maintenance renders this system potentially attractive for use in online and field instruments.