Cyclic voltammetric studies on the application of carbon electrodes in the determination of oxalic acid

Abstract

The application of carbon paste and glassy carbon electrodes in the analysis of oxalic acid was investigated by comparing the characteristics of cyclic voltammograms of oxalic acid obtained in various supporting electrolytes (acetate, borate, citrate, phosphate, etc.). when a semi-micro carbon paste electrode (area 0.49 cm 2) was used, the oxalic acid was oxidized at +1.0 to +1.2 V vs Ag|AgCl yielding current in the μA range (scan rate 50 mV/s) for oxalic acid concentration of approximately 10 −4 M. Oxalic acid oxidation was observed under both acidic and alkaline conditions. The presence of chloride ions or oxygen did not have any deleterious effect on the electrode response. The peak current was reproducible for repeated scans obtained with the same electrode after brief stirring. The glassy carbon electrode was found to be less suitable for oxalic acid oxidation studies because the peaks in the voltammograms were poorly defined and the current response was markedly reduced. These investigations suggest that carbon paste electrodes are sensitive and stable for oxalic acid oxidation studies. A plot of the peak currents obtained with carbon paste electrode for different concentrations of oxalic acid between 1×10 −4 M to 1×10 −3 M was linear and reproducible. It is suggested that a flow through carbon paste electrode coupled to a chromatographic column can be used in the development of a sensitive method for oxalic acid analysis in biological samples.