Calibrationless determination of cadmium, lead and copper in rain samples by stripping voltammetry at mercury microelectrodes

Calibration-Free Analysis with Chronoamperometry at Microelectrodes

Analytical methods are crucial for monitoring and assessing the concentration of important chemicals, and there is now a growing demand for methodologies that allow miniaturization, require lower sample volumes, and enable real-time analysis in the field. Most electroanalytical techniques depend on calibrations or standards, and this has several limitations, ranging from matrix interference, to stability problems, time required, cost and waste. Therefore, strategies that do not require standards or calibration curves greatly interest the analytical chemistry community. Here, we propose a new quantification method that does not rely on calibration and is only based on a single chronoamperometric curve recorded with a microelectrode. We show that satisfactory analytical information is obtained with just one chronoamperometric experiment that only takes a few seconds. We propose different data treatments to determine the unknown concentration, we consider the experimental conditions and instrument parameters, we report how parallel reactions affect the results, and we recommend procedures to implement the method in autonomous sensors. We also show that the concentration of several species can be derived if their E° values are sufficiently far apart or the sum of all concentrations if the E° values are too close. The proposed method was validated with a model redox system then further evaluated by determining ascorbic acid concentrations in standard solutions and food supplements, and paracetamol in a pain killer. The results for ascorbic acid were compared with those obtained by coulometry, and a good agreement was found, with a maximum deviation ca. 10.8%. The approach was also successfully applied to ascorbic acid quantification in solutions with different viscosity using ethylene glycol as a thickener.

Regulating valence states of CuFe-PBA for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ in food application

Prussian blue analogues, as prospective electrode materials, play a crucial role in detecting heavy metal ions (HMIs), a process closely related to their electron transfer capacities and active surfaces. Here, etched copper-iron Prussian blue analogues (CuFe-PBA) are synthesized through a combination of flash nanoprecipitation (FNP) and an alkali etching process. Furthermore, this study investigates the impact of ammonia on the electronic structure of CuFe-PBA and its electrochemical detection capabilities for HMIs. The etched CuFe-PBA (e-CuFe-PBA) exhibits excellent detection performance for Cd2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+ with 17.6 μA μM-1, 24.2 μA μM-1 and 26.2 μA μM-1, respectively, due to the fact that the ammonia etching not only modulates the electronic properties of the surface of CuFe-PBA but also reduces the degree of agglomeration and enhances the accessible surface area. Additionally, it demonstrates excellent stability and resistance to interference, having been successfully applied to detect HMIs in food samples such as preserved eggs and apple juice. These results provide a new strategy for the use of Prussian blue analogues as electrochemical sensors for food safety applications.

A Novel Eco-Friendly and Highly Sensitive Solid Lead-Tin Microelectrode for Trace U(VI) Determination in Natural Water Samples

For the first time a solid state lead-tin microelectrode (diameter ϕ 25 µm) was utilized for U(VI) ion determination by adsorptive stripping voltammetry. The described sensor is characterized by high durability, reusability and eco-friendly features, as the need for using lead and tin ions for metal film preplating has been eliminated, and consequently, the amount of toxic waste has been limited. The advantages of the developed procedure resulted also from the utilization of a microelectrode as a working electrode, because a restricted amount of metals is needed for its construction. Moreover, field analysis is possible to perform thanks to the fact that measurements can be carried out from unmixed solutions. The analytical procedure was optimized. The proposed procedure is characterized by two orders of magnitude linear dynamic range of U(VI) determination from 1 × 10^-9 to 1 × 10^-7 mol L^-1 (120 s of accumulation). The detection limit was calculated to be 3.9 × 10^-10 mol L^-1 (accumulation time of 120 s). RSD% calculated from seven subsequent U(VI) determinations at a concentration of 2 × 10^-8 mol L^-1 was 3.5%. The correctness of the analytical procedure was confirmed by analyzing a natural certified reference material.

Characterisation of biosynthesised silver nanoparticles by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) and voltammetry

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesised by a Klebsiella oxytoca strain BAS-10, which, during its growth, is known to produce a branched exopolysaccharide (EPS). Klebsiella oxytoca cultures, treated with AgNO3 and grown under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, produced silver nanoparticles embedded in EPS (AgNPs-EPS) containing different amounts of Ag(0) and Ag(I) forms. The average size of the AgNPs-EPS was determined by transmission electron microscopy, while the relative abundance of Ag(0)- or Ag(I)-containing AgNPs-EPS was established by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Moreover, the release of silver(I) species from the various types of AgNPs-EPS was investigated by combining SECM with anodic stripping voltammetry. These measurements allowed obtaining information on the kinetic of silver ions release from AgNPs-EPS and their concentration profiles at the substrate/water interface.