Trace lead analysis based on carbon-screen-printed-electrodes modified via 4-carboxy-phenyl diazonium salt electroreduction.

This paper describes the use of 4-carboxyphenyl-grafted screen-printed carbon electrodes (4-CP-SPEs) for trace lead analysis. These novel and simple use of electrodes were easily prepared by the electrochemical reduction of the corresponding diazonium salt. Pb detection was then performed by a three-steps method in order to avoid oxygen interference: (i) immersion of the grafted screen-printed electrode (SPE) in the sample and adsorption of Pb(II), (ii) reduction of adsorbed Pb(II) by chronoamperometry (CA), and (iii) oxidation of Pb by Anodic Square Wave Voltammetry (SWV). The reoxidation response was exploited for lead detection and quantification. In order to optimize the analytical responses, the influence of the adsorption medium pH and the adsorption time were investigated. Moreover, an interference study was carried out with Cu(II), Hg(II), Al(III), Mn(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and no major interference can be expected to quantify Pb(II). The described method provided a limit of detection and a limit of quantification of 1.2 × 10(-9)M and 4.1 × 10(-9)M, respectively. These performances indicate that the 4-CP-SPE could be considered as an efficient tool for environmental analysis.

Electrical conductivity and spin crossover: a new achievement with a metal bis dithiolene complex.

Three new compounds based on the cationic complex [Fe(III)(3-R-salEen)(2)]+ (salEen stands for N-(2-ethylamino)ethyl)-salicylaldimine, R = H, CH(3)O) with the electroactive Ni(dmit)(2) species as a counterion (dmit stands for 1,3-dithia-2-thione-4,5-dithiolato) have been synthesized and structurally and magnetically characterized. Compound 1 ([Ni(dmit)(2)][Fe(3-OMe-salEen)(2)]. CH(3)OH) shows an apparent hysteresis loop, due to an irreversible desolvatation process. Compound 2 ([Ni(dmit)(2)](NO(3))[Fe(salEen)(2)](2)) exhibits a gradual and incomplete spin transition. Compound 3 ([Ni(dmit)(2)](5)[Fe(salEen)(2)](2), 6CH(3)CN) is a fractional oxidation state complex, which behaves like a semiconductor and exhibits a gradual but complete spin transition between 300 and 4 K.

[Fe(sal2-trien)][Ni(dmit)2]: towards switchable spin crossover molecular conductors.

A cooperative spin transition behaviour with a wide hysteresis loop (30 K) around 240 K has been observed, for the first time, in a salt based on the redox active [Ni(dmit)(2)](-), anion and the [Fe(sal(2)-trien)](+) spin crossover cation.