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Brucine, part 1: Electrochemistry of brucine
Author(s) -
Nyasulu Frazier W.
Publication year - 1990
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/elan.1140020411
Subject(s) - brucine , chemistry , electrochemistry , cyclic voltammetry , inorganic chemistry , saturated calomel electrode , electrode , reagent , octadecane , carbon paste electrode , organic chemistry , working electrode , biochemistry , strychnine
Cyclic voltammetry and chronocoulometry were used to study the electrochemistry of brucine. The oxidation of brucine 0.9 V versus a saturated calomel electrode at a carbon paste electrode produces a compound that undergoes reversible electrochemical behavior at E o ′ = 0.47 V. The product formed on the oxidation of brucine undergoes a slow chemical reaction to produce a compound that shows reversible behavior at E o ′ = 0.27 V. The hexadecane content of the carbon paste plays an important role in the observed behavior. Electrodes with low hexadecane did show oxidation of brucine, but irreversible waves occurred at E o ′ = 0.47 and 0.27 V. These features were also displayed by a platinum electrode. Calcium oxalate incorporated into the carbon paste catalyzes the oxidation of brucine. Chronocoulometry was used to estimate the heterogenous rate constant for the oxidation of brucine at calcium oxalate‐modified and unmodified electrodes. The values found were 21.4 × 10 −3 cm/s for the modified electrode and 6.1 × 10 −3 cm/s for the unmodified electrode. Preliminary results on the use of brucine as a reagent for the determination of nitrate are given.