Tin film sensor with on-chip three-electrode configuration for voltammetric determination of trace Tl(I) in strong acidic media

Eco-friendly voltammetric platform for trace metal determination using a conductive polymer sensor modified with bismuth nanoparticles generated by spark discharge

The fabrication of a low-cost eco-friendly sensor platform for the voltammetric determination of trace metals by electrochemical stripping analysis is reported. Plastic conductive electrodes were manufactured via injection moulding from polysterene reinforced with carbon fibres. The platform comprises a carbon counter electrode, a working electrode modified with bismuth nanoparticles generated by spark discharge and a reference electrode coated with AgCl. The sensor fabrication and modification procedures are simple, cost-effective and fast while the materials used are environment-friendly. The utility of the voltammetric platform is demonstrated for stripping analysis of Cd(II) and Pb(II); the limits of detection are 0.7 μg L-1 and 0.6 μg L-1, respectively (with a deposition time of 240 s) which are comparable to conventional Bi-modified sensors and are sufficient to determine the target metals in water and food samples. The scope of the analytical platform for multi-element assays and for the determination of other trace metals is discussed with representative examples. Therefore, this sustainable and economical platform holds great potential for electrochemical sensing of trace metals.

Development of a new electrochemical method for the determination of copper(ii) at trace levels in environmental and food samples

This paper presents the fabrication of a new modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) with N 1-hydroxy-N 1,N 2-diphenylbenzamidine (HDPBA) and functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) (HDPBA-MWCNTs/CPE) for highly sensitive and selective determination of Cu(ii) using the square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) technique. The fabricated electrode was characterized using various spectroscopic techniques to study its morphological, structural, and electrochemical properties. The accumulation of Cu(ii) on the surface of HDPBA-MWCNTs/CPE was done in 0.1 M ammonium chloride (NH4Cl, pH 5) solution at an applied potential of -0.70 V versus Ag/AgCl for 180 s, followed by electrochemical stripping in the positive scan of the voltammetry after a resting time of 10 s. The developed HDPBA-MWCNTs/CPE was found to be highly selective, sensitive and reproducible. At optimal conditions of the experiment, the proposed method exhibited a very low limit of detection (0.0048 nM Cu(ii)), a wide linear dynamic range (0.00007-1.5000 μM Cu(ii)), and good reproducibility with relative standard deviation (RSD) value of 3.7%. The effect of various foreign ions on the voltammetric response of Cu(ii) was investigated and the electrode was found to be highly selective to Cu(ii). The practical applicability of the proposed HDPBA-MWCNTs/CPE was studied by applying the electrode for the quantification of Cu(ii) contents in environmental water (wastewater and tap water), soft drink (Fanta and Sprite), and food supplement (commercially available multi-mineral/vitamin tablets) samples. The present method was validated with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results found from the two methods are in good agreement with a 95% confidence level.

“Green” Three-Electrode Sensors Fabricated by Injection-Moulding for On-Site Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Trace In(III) and Tl(I)

This work reports the fabrication of a new environmentally friendly three-electrode electrochemical sensor suitable for on-site voltammetric determination of two toxic emerging ‘technology-critical elements’ (TCEs), namely indium and thallium. The sensor is fully fabricated by injection-moulding and features three conductive polymer electrodes encased in a plastic holder; the reference electrode is further coated with AgCl or AgBr. The sensor is applied to the determination of trace In(III) and Tl(I) by anodic stripping voltammetry using a portable electrochemical set-up featuring a miniature smartphone-based potentiostat and a vibrating device for agitation. For the analysis, the sample containing the target metal ions is spiked with Bi(III) and a bismuth film is electroplated in situ forming an alloy with the accumulated target metals on the working electrode of the sensor; the metals are stripped off by applying a square-wave anodic voltametric scan. Potential interferences in the determination of In(III) and Tl(I) were alleviated by judicious selection of the solution chemistry. Limits of quantification for the target ions were in the low μg L−1 range and the sensors were applied to the analysis of lake water samples spiked with In(III) and Tl(I) with recoveries in the range of 95–103%.

Microwave Enthrakometric Labs-On-A-Chip and On-Chip Enthrakometric Catalymetry: From Non-Conventional Chemotronics Towards Microwave-Assisted Chemosensors

A unique chemical analytical approach is proposed based on the integration of chemical radiophysics with electrochemistry at the catalytically-active surface. This approach includes integration of: radiofrequency modulation polarography with platinum electrodes, applied as film enthrakometers for microwave measurements; microwave thermal analysis performed on enthrakometers as bolometric sensors; catalytic measurements, including registration of chemical self-oscillations on the surface of a platinum enthrakometer as the chemosensor; measurements on the Pt chemosensor implemented as an electrochemical chip with the enthrakometer walls acting as the chip walls; chemotron measurements and data processing in real time on the surface of the enthrakometric chip; microwave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements using an enthrakometer both as a substrate and a microwave power meter; microwave acceleration of chemical reactions and microwave catalysis оn the Pt surface; chemical generation of radio- and microwaves, and microwave spin catalysis; and magnetic isotope measurements on the enthrakometric chip. The above approach allows one to perform multiparametric physical and electrochemical sensing on a single active enthrakometric surface, combining the properties of the selective electrochemical sensor and an additive physical detector.

Integrated three-electrode screen-printed sensor modified with bismuth film for voltammetric determination of thallium(I) at the ultratrace level

In the present paper, for the first time, the integrated three-electrode screen-printed sensor with in situ plated bismuth film carbon working electrode was applied for the ultratrace determination of thallium(I) (Tl(I)). Under optimized conditions extremely low limits of detection were reached, 8.47 × 10^-10 and 6.71 × 10^-12 mol L^-1 for the deposition times of 60 s and 300 s, respectively. The influences of foreign metal ions and surfactants on the voltammetric signal of thallium in natural samples were minimized using 1 × 10^-5 mol L^-1 EDTA and Amberlite XAD-7 resin added to the buffer solution (CH₃COONH₄, CH₃COOH and NH₄Cl) of pH = 4.6 ± 0.1. The developed voltammetric method with integrated three-electrode screen-printed sensor was validated with use of certified reference materials (surface, rain and natural water) and can be in future applied to field analyses of Tl(I).

Application of bismuth bulk annular band electrode for determination of ultratrace concentrations of thallium(I) using stripping voltammetry

A study of a new type of mercury-free working electrode - the bismuth bulk annular band working electrode (BiABE) - applied for thallium(I) detection via differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP ASV), preceded by the complexation of interfering ions (Cd(2+), Pb(2+)) with EDTA in an acetate buffer (pH 4.5), is reported. The optimisation of experimental conditions included selection of the appropriate supporting electrolyte solution, potential and time of preconcentration, and DP mode parameters. The peak current was proportional to the concentration of Tl(I) in the range from 0.5 to 49nmolL(-1) (R=0.9992) and from 0.05 to 1.4nmolL(-1) (R=0.9987) for accumulation times of 60s and 300s, respectively. For 60s of accumulation time, the LOD was 0.005nmolL(-1) (1ngL(-1)) (at S/N=3), and the sensitivity of 18.5nA/nM was achieved. The relative standard deviation for 4.9nmolL(-1) of Tl(I) was 4.3% (n=5). Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to determine Tl(I) in the certified reference materials-waters (SPS-SW1 and SPS-SW2) as well as the spiked tap and river water samples.

Simultaneous electrochemical sensing of thallium, lead and mercury using a novel ionic liquid/graphene modified electrode

In the present manuscript, an electrochemical sensor for the sensitive detection of Tl(+), Pb(2+) and Hg(2+) is described. A new composite electrode has been fabricated using graphene, 1-n-octylpyridinum hexafluorophosphate (OPFP), and [2,4-Cl2C6H3C(O)CHPPh3] (L), as a new synthetic phosphorus ylide. The physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations of fabricated sensor were investigated in details. The advantages of the proposed composite electrode are its ability in simultaneous electrochemical detection of Tl(+), Pb(2+) and Hg(2+) with good selectivity, stability and no need for separating of the three species from complex mixtures prior to electrochemical measurements. The analytical performance of the proposed electrode was examined using square wave voltammetry. Tl(+), Pb(2+) and Hg(2+) can be determined in linear ranges from 1.25×10(-9) to 2.00×10(-7) mol L(-1). Low detection limits of 3.57×10(-10) mol L(-1) for Tl(+), 4.50×10(-10) mol L(-1) for Pb(2+) and 3.86×10(-10) mol L(-1) for Hg(2+) were achieved. Finally, the proposed electrochemical sensor was applied to detect trace analyte ions in various water and soil samples with satisfactory results.