Pulsed amperometric detection of sulfur compounds: thiourea at gold electrodes

Planar carbon electrodes for real-time quantification of hydrogen sulfide release from cells

A planar electrode system was developed to permit the real-time, selective detection of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from stimulated cells. Planar carbon electrodes were produced via stencil printing carbon ink through a laser cut vinyl mask. Electrodes were preconditioned using a constant potential amperometry methodology to prevent sensor drift resulting from elemental sulfur adsorption. Modification with a bilaminar coating (electropolymerized ortho-phenylenediamine and a fluorinated xerogel) facilitated high selectivity to H₂S. To demonstrate the biological application of this planar sensor system, H₂S released from 17β-estradiol-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was quantified in situ in real-time. Stimulated HUVECs released sustained H₂S levels for hours before returning to baseline. Cellular viability assays demonstrated negligible cell cytotoxicity at the electrochemical potentials required for analysis.

Vibrating boron-doped diamond electrode: A new, durable and highly sensitive tool for the detection of cadmium

In this paper, a vibrating boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode electroanalytical device and respective method for the analysis of ultralow concentrations of Cd(II) in water were studied. The enhanced mass transfer on the electrode surface was studied using Ru(NH₃)₆Cl₃. Vibration with 133 Hz frequency enhanced the Ru(III) to Ru(II) reduction by 92.6% compared to a static electrode. The peak current of the anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) method employed was increased by a factor of 5.3 and 4.7 for 10 and 30 μg L^-1 Cd(II) concentrations, respectively, when a frequency of 200 Hz was used. A calibration plot with two linear regions was resolved between 0.01 and 1 μg L^-1 and 1-30 μg L^-1 with the LOD and LOQ of 0.04 μg L^-1 and 0.12 μg L^-1, respectively. The applicability of the device and the respective method in the analysis of real environmental samples was successfully verified by analysis of river samples and comparing the results with the ICP analysis presenting high reproducibility and trueness. According to the results of this research, the vibrating BDD electrode with the ASV method has excellent analytical performance without surface modification or regular replacement or polishing of the electrode surface. Combining the exceptional electrochemical and chemical properties of BDD with enhanced mass transfer and signal strength of vibrating electrodes makes the system especially suitable for on-site and online analysis of heavy metals.

A direct and selective electrochemical hydrogen sulfide sensor

Continuous, in situ detection of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in biological milieu is made possible with electrochemical methods, but direct amperometry is constrained by the generation of elemental sulfur as an oxidative byproduct. Deposition of a sulfur layer passivates the working electrode, reducing sensitivity and causing performance variability. Herein, we report on the use of a surface preconditioning procedure to deposit elemental sulfur on a glassy carbon electrode prior to measurement and evaluate performance with common analytical metrics. The lack of traditional anti-poisoning techniques (e.g. redox mediators, cleaning pulses) also allowed for facile surface modification with electropolymerized films. For the first time, a series of electropolymerized films were characterized for their H2S permselective behavior against common biological interferents. Highly selective, film-modified electrodes were then evaluated for their anti-biofouling ability in simulated wound fluid. The final optimized electrode was capable of measuring H2S with a low detection limit (i.e., <100 nM) and ∼80% of its initial sensitivity in proteinaceous media.

Direct Electrochemical Sensing of Hydrogen Sulfide without Sulfur Poisoning

An electrochemical method capable of direct, real-time detection of hydrogen sulfide was developed using triple pulse amperometry (TPA) to mitigate sulfur poisoning and its related passivation of the working electrode surface. Through repeated cycles of discrete potential pulses, the electrooxidation of surface-adsorbed elemental sulfur to water-soluble sulfate ions was exploited to regenerate the glassy carbon electrode surface and maintain consistent sensor performance. Amperometric measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy surface analysis demonstrated that the TPA sensors provided enhanced analytical performance via decreased sulfur accumulation relative to low-potential (≤+0.7 V) constant potential amperometry. Sensors operated under optimized TPA parameters retained high sensitivity (57.4 ± 13.0 nA/μM), a wide linear dynamic range (150 nM-15 μM), fast response times (<10 s), and a submicromolar detection limit (<100 nM) upon consecutive calibration cycles. The sensitivity and response time achieved were comparable to or better than current electrochemical sensors. Moreover, the simplicity of the method eliminates the need for external redox mediators or semipermeable membranes.

Comparison of Potential-Time Waveforms for the Detection of Biogenic Amines in Complex Mixtures following Their Separation by Liquid Chromatography

Pulsed amperometric detection (PAD), integrated voltammetric detection (IVD), and integrated square-wave detection (ISWD) at gold electrodes are compared for the flow injection detection of 1,3-diaminopropane in a liquid chromatograph (LC). These detection methods are especially significant for alkylamines and amino acids because (i) the majority of these compounds do not naturally possess chromophoric or fluorophoric functional groups and (ii) their amperometric detection at constant potential at Au electrodes fails because the electrode activity is severely attenuated by the formation of an inert surface oxide (AuO). The anodic response mechanisms for detection of amines require concomitant formation of AuO; therefore, a large background signal is observed with conventional PAD. In comparison, the background is much smaller for IVD and ISWD because the anodic charge for oxide formation (positive scan/step) is compensated by the cathodic charge for oxide reduction (negative scan/step). The limits of detection (S/N = 3) for 1,3-diaminopropane by LC-PAD, LC-IVD and LC-ISWD are about 3 × 10(2) pg (4 pmol), 5 × 10(1) pg (0.7 pmol), and 3 × 10(1) pg (0.5 pmol), respectively, for 25-μL injections. Results are also shown to demonstrate ISWD for detection of nine biogenic amines following their chromatographic separation.

Use of a stopped-flow technique for investigation and determination of thiourea and its N-methyl derivatives as inducers of the iodine–azide reaction

A stopped-flow technique has been used to investigate the behaviour of 2-thiourea, 1-methyl-2-thiourea, 1,3-dimethyl-2-thiourea, and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-thiourea in the induced iodine-azide reaction. This technique enables the progress of the reaction to be followed by monitoring the decrease in the absorbance of the iodine-starch complex at 595 nm. The effect of the concentration of the reagents on the rate of the reaction was investigated and a kinetic method for determination of the compounds is proposed. 2-Thiourea, 1-methyl-2-thiourea, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-thiourea can be determined in the range 3-75 micromol L(-1) and 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-thiourea in the range 2-200 micromol L(-1).

Determination of thio-based additives for biopharmaceuticals by pulsed electrochemical detection following HPLC

Pulsed electrochemical detection (PED) following liquid chromatographic separation has been applied to the direct (i.e., without derivatization) determination of two major sulfur-containing compounds used as pharmaceutical additives, isopropyl-thio-beta-D-galactopyranoside (IPTG) and monothioglycerol (MTG). Limits of detection of IPTG and MTG were found to be 1 ppb (0.2 pmol, 50 microL) and 0.2 ppb (0.1 pmol, 50 microL), respectively, using optimized potential-time waveforms applied to a Au electrode. In addition to high sensitivity as compared to optical detection, the simultaneous detection of free thiols and disulfides can be used to study the kinetics of these conversions, as is shown for MTG. A practical application of HPLC-PED is demonstrated in determining MTG in a pharmaceutical formulation. The high selectivity of PED for thiocompounds reduces sample preparation and produces simpler chromatograms in a variety of matrices.

Use of disposable gold working electrodes for cation chromatography-integrated pulsed amperometric detection of sulfur-containing amino acids

We have prepared disposable thin-film gold working electrodes on polymeric substrates. Our microfabrication process allows for inexpensive and reproducible mass production of such electrodes. We utilize this new type of electrode in flow-through electrochemical cells to replace the conventional non-disposable gold working electrodes for integrated pulsed amperometric detection (IPAD) of compounds separated by high-performance cation-exchange chromatography. Using two S-containing amino acids (homocysteine and cysteine) as test compounds, we have modified a previously reported waveform for optimum performance with disposable gold electrodes. With the help of the same two test substances we have characterized the analytical performance of disposable gold electrodes under the new conditions. Compared to non-disposable working electrodes, the disposable working electrodes generated equal or better results in the limit of detection, linearity of calibration and reproducibility. When used with a new IPAD waveform, the disposable electrodes functioned reproducibly for 3 days. At the end of the specified usage period of 3 days, the disposable electrodes are simply replaced. Reconditioning by polishing is thus no longer required.

Analyzing mixtures of amino acids and carbohydrates using bi-modal integrated amperometric detection

Described in this work is a new detection methodology - bi-modal integrated amperometric detection - for identifying peaks and as a tool for solving difficult separation problems. Bi-modal integrated amperometry makes it possible to selectively detect amino acids, amino sugars, and carbohydrates following their separation by anion-exchange. Selectivity is gained by two different methods of integrating anodic current on an otherwise identical waveform. As with the single-mode integrated amperometry reported previously, the limits of detection are in the femtomole range and linear calibration plots are possible over three orders of magnitude. This new detection method does not require analyte derivatization. The practical utility of this new technique is demonstrated in the analysis of amino acids and sugars in a recombinant mammalian cell culture medium.