Evaluation of a Pyrolytic Carbon Film Electrode for Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

Abstract

The potentialities of a recently introduced pyrolytic carbon film electrode (PCFE) for anodic stripping voltammetry are demonstrated. Glassy carbon discs, coated under controlled conditions with a pyrolytic carbon film, are mounted by means of heat-shrinkable teflon tubing to a steel rod adaptable to a rotating electrode assembly. Performance characteristics of this electrode are experimentally compared with the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the determination of cadmium and lead at nanomolar levels in sea water samples using conventional mercury film technique. The PCFE is found to give a behaviour well comparable to that of the GCE. The repeatability of analysis with the PCFE is found to be 2.7% and 2.0% for cadmium and lead, respectively. The important asset found for the PCFE is that the need for pretreatment of the electrode is minimal, since no polishing procedure has to be undertaken. In fact, a condition of these favourable characteristics is a carbon surface preserved in the as-deposited state. The full paper will be published in Talanta (in press).