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Early Polarographic Studies on Proteins
Author(s) -
Heyrovsky Michael
Publication year - 2004
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.200403008
Subject(s) - polarography , dropping mercury electrode , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , adsorption , electrode , mercury (programming language) , catalysis , anode , ion , metal ions in aqueous solution , electrochemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The first effects of proteins observed with the dropping mercury electrode were catalytic, due to evolution of hydrogen in weakly alkaline solutions. Catalytic lowering of hydrogen overvoltage in presence of cobalt ions, the so‐called Brdicka reaction, became the main means for polarographic study of proteins. Apart from that, polarography has been used for following proteins in their adsorption on the electrode surface, in their anodic reaction with mercury at positive potentials, in reduction of the disulfidic bonds of their components, in their complexation with metallic ions in the solution, in electrode reactions of their prosthetic groups and in antigen‐antibody interactions. Our review is limited to applications of the dropping mercury electrode.