Characterization of mediated and non-mediated oxidase enzyme based glassy carbon electrodes.

The performance and analytical characteristics of a glassy carbon glutaraldehyde immobilized glucose oxidase electrode have been established with regard to the direct detection of hydrogen peroxide produced from the reaction of glucose with oxygen. Measurements were performed at + 1.1 V vs. SCE, and selectivity was obtained by casting the surface with a cellulose acetate membrane. Results compared favorably with the classical platinum-enzyme probe. The mechanism of ascorbic acid interference in hydrogen peroxide detection is reported. Mediated detection was also investigated for oxidase enzymes (glucose oxidase and xanthine oxidase) immobilized on the bare glassy carbon electrode. The probes were characterized using a specific enzyme mediator in solution (phenazine methosulfate or dichlorophenol-indophenol) plus hexacyanoferrate(III) as an electrochemical mediator. The electrode was poised at + 0.36 V vs. SCE for the detection of hexacyanoferrate(II). The advantages of this dual mediator configuration include high stability and sensitivity of the electrochemical signal and the ability to use less positive potentials for increased selectivity. Application to other enzymes, such as hydrogenases, using such a binary redox configuration is suggested.

Electrochemical behavior of zopiclone.

The electrochemical properties of zopiclone, an anxiolytic and hypnotic drug, have been investigated by different techniques. The compound is reduced in two 2-electron steps in the pH range 0-12. The first step, which corresponds to the reduction of the pyrazine ring, is reversible in acidic and neutral solutions. Strong adsorption phenomena accompany the reduction process in acidic and neutral media. Zopiclone can be quantitatively measured over the entire pH range using DC polarography. However, the use of differential pulse and square-wave modes for quantitative measurements is more limited due to a slope modification in the current-concentration relationship. Adsorptive stripping voltammetry can be applied to the determination of low levels of the drug at pH 9, but only short deposition times may be used because large amounts of material accumulated under stirring conditions due to fast adsorption kinetics are rapidly released from the electrode surface. Detection limits are 1 x 10(-7)M and 2 x 10(-10)M for polarography and adsorptive stripping voltammetry, respectively. Only the first wave is of analytical interest for both techniques.

Electrochemical behaviour of tizanidine at solid electrodes.

The electrochemical behaviour of tizanidine [5-chloro(delta-2-imidazolinyl-2-amino)-4-benzothiadiazole-2,1,3], a centrally-active skeletal muscle relaxant has been investigated in aqueous media at the carbon paste electrode (CPE). Cyclic voltammetry at different pH values, controlled potential coulometry and comparative studies on three structurally related molecules have permitted identification of the oxidation site of tizanidine and suggest possible oxidation products in acidic media. The electrochemical reduction at the CPE occurred in one irreversible step and the reduction product (diamine derivative) was detected and characterized on the positive going scan in cyclic voltammetry. Quantitative measurements of tizanidine within the range 2 x 10(-5) M and 1 x 10(-4) M have been realized at the CPE using the differential pulse technique.

Use of ethylene-vinyl-acetate as a new membrane matrix for calcium ion-selective electrode preparation.

A new polymer matrix based membrane electrode with an ion-exchanger responding to calcium was constructed by dissolving the copolymer ethylene-vinyl-acetate together with the ion-exchanger in chloroform in the presence of a mixture of dioctylphthalate-nitrobenzene as plasticizer. The ion-exchanger used as the electroactive component was calcium didecyl phosphate in di-(n-octylphenyl) phosphonate (Orion). This electrode exhibited near-Nernstian response over the concentration range 10(-1)-4 x 10(-6)M calcium. The pH did not affect the electrode performance within the range 8-11. Response time varied from 15 to 120 sec and the lifetime exceeded six months. The membrane is subject to static charge buildup, but this is avoided by controlling the level of dryness of the membrane. Selectivity coefficients determined for both monovalent and divalent cations showed negligible interference by most of these ions. The electrode was applied successfully to the determination of calcium in commercial mineral waters.

New modified polymeric electrodes selective to local anaesthetic compounds.

New polymeric electrodes responding to the cationic forms of tetracaine (TC), lidocaine (LD), and procaine (PC) were constructed by incorporating their ion-pair complexes (the salts of TC, LD and PC with phosphotungstic acid) into ethylene-vinyl acetate (E/VAC) copolymer. Other ion pairing agents investigated were silicotungstate and tetraphenylborate. The phosphotungstic acid resulted in the best linear and Nernstian response. A 1:1 (v/v) mixture of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and nitrobenzene (NB) was used as plasticizer. The electrodes exhibited linear response over the concentration ranges 10(-2)-5.6 x 10(-6), 10(-2)-2.5 x 10(-5) and 10(-2)-1.8 x 10(-5) M of TC, LD and PC, respectively. pH did not affect the electrode performances within the ranges 2.7-6.3, 2.6-6.7 and 2.8-7.5 for the three electrodes, respectively. Interferences are negligible for many organic base and alkali metal cations. Cations of similar structure interfere with LD and PC, but not appreciably with TC. Direct potentiometry was used to determine these compounds in pharmaceutical preparations with accurate results.

Amperometric biosensors for glucose based on carbon paste modified electrodes.

The modification of carbon-paste electrodes by incorporation of the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOD) is described. The resulting probes can be operated as amperometric glucose sensors in the presence or absence of a mediator (1,1'-dimethylferrocene) mixed into the paste. Extended linear calibration ranges have been obtained up to 90 and 5OmM glucose respectively. The electrode responses were rapid, reaching steady-state values within 30-40 sec. Advantages of using a GOD-paste formulation are suggested. Plasma glucose assays were correlated with spectrophotometric determinations based on glucose oxidase (y = 1.07x - 0.16, r = 0.973, n = 17).

Adsorptive voltammetry and hydrolysis kinetics of loprazolam mesilate.

Loprazolam is determined by square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry in 0.04M ammonium chloride at pH 4.0, with an accumulation potential of -0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl(s), at which the nitro group is reduced to a hydroxylamine group, with adsorption of the product. Cathodic stripping results in reduction of the azomethine bond of the adsorbed product. With a deposition time of 120 sec the detection limit is 2.5 x 10(-10)M. The relative standard deviation is 1.7% for 5 x 10(-8)M loprazolam (60 sec deposition). Reversible hydrolysis of the azomethine group occurs in sulfuric or hydrochloric acid. The reaction is initially first-order, followed by an apparent second-order reaction. First-order rate constants and half-lives are reported for 0.1-1M sulfuric acid and 0.02M hydrochloric acid media and compared with the values for nitrazepam hydrolysis.

Electrochemical behavior of marcellomycin at lipid-modified carbon-paste electrodes.

A lipid-modified carbon-paste electrode is prepared by mixing phospholipids with the carbon-paste matrix. The resulting electrodes have polar head-groups which allow interactions with positively charged drugs and improved preconcentration/extraction steps. The accumulation of the antitumor drug, marcellomycin, is enhanced in the presence of lipids, giving an 8-fold enhancement of current. The electrode response has been optimized with respect to paste composition, nature of the lipid, pH, temperature, and stirring time. A mechanism for marcellomycin accumulation is proposed, based on electrochemical and UV-visible spectrometric measurements as a function of pH. The electrode response is linearly related to the marcellomycin concentration within the range 1 x 10(-8)-6 x 10(-6)M. Known amounts of marcellomycin added to a urine sample diluted sixfold with water have been measured by use of the medium-exchange technique.

Applications in drug analysis of carbon paste electrodes modified by fatty acids.

The oxidation of promethazine as a model compound has been studied by adsorptive stripping voltammetry at carbon paste electrodes (CPE). A modification of the carbon paste matrix with fatty acids allows greater preconcentration of the molecule at the electrode surface. Several fatty acids of different chain length have been tested. The modification of the CPE with lauric acid has been successfully applied in the quantitative analysis of promethazine in standard serum samples. The influence of several parameters affecting the accumulation step has been investigated such as: pH, ionic strength, interfering ions, paste composition. The detection limit in phosphate buffer at pH 9.0 (tacc = 5 min) has been found to be 1 x 10(-10) M.

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry applied to drug analysis: a powerful tool.

A brief review of the principles and instrumentation of adsorptive stripping voltammetry is presented and the advantages of the method are described. As for many highly sensitive techniques applied to the analysis of complex media, severe interferences may occur. Different approaches can be used to circumvent these problems, exemplified by several applications in biological fluids. The application of modified electrodes to enhance selectivity is discussed.

Electrochemical study of carminomycin at solid electrodes.

The electrochemical behaviour of carminomycin at carbon-paste, glassy-carbon and composite carbon-polymer electrodes has been compared. Three electroactive sites on the molecule have been identified. Two sites are involved in the oxidation processes, the first corresponding to the hydroquinone structure in the C-6/C-11 positions, the second attributed to the C-4 phenolic function. Applying a negative-going scan allows reduction of the quinone moiety in the C-5/C-12 positions. Both the quinone and hydroquinone functions exhibit quasi-reversible electrochemical reactions in acidic medium, becoming irreversible in alkaline solution. Adsorption phenomena accompany both the oxidation and reduction processes, primarily in neutral and alkaline media. The adsorption can be decreased by using the composite electrode, which is less sensitive to surface phenomena. This working electrode is proposed as the most suitable for the determination of carminomycin at pH 1. A linear calibration plot can be obtained over the range 1 x 10(-6)-1 x 10(-4)M, with a limit of detection of 6 x 10(-8)M.

Square-wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry of menadione (vitamin K(3)).

Menadione (vitamin K(3)) undergoes a reversible two-electron transfer involving the quinone structure in acidic medium. As demonstrated by using cyclic voltammetry, the reduced form is more strongly adsorbed than the oxidized one. Stripping voltammetry of an adsorbed layer has been applied to the determination of this molecule after preconcentration of the reduced compound and scanning the potential towards less negative values. Adsorption, which is highly effective when stirring is used, approaches an equilibrium process in quiescent solution, as evidenced by a loss of part of the adsorbed material when stirring is stopped. A square-wave mode has been selected owing to its high sensitivity (the current is 20 times that for the differential pulse mode), but also to its high scan-rate, which minimizes the slow desorption process occurring during the scan. A concentration range from 2 x 10(-10) to 5 x 10(-7)M is easily investigated, the detection limit being 1.3 x 10(-10)M. The influence of several operational parameters has also been considered.

A comparison of glassy-carbon and carbon-polymer composite electrodes incorporated into electrochemical detection systems for high-performance liquid chromatography.

A comparison has been made of the performance of a novel composite carbon-polymer electrode and a glassy-carbon electrode for use as working electrodes in an electrochemical detector for HPLC. The composite electrode was found to be comparable to the glassy-carbon electrode in terms of current response, superior in terms of cost, machinability, noise levels, stabilization time and accessible potential range, and inferior in terms of the potentials required for the oxidation of certain model compounds such as epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Electrochemical behaviour of cis-platin at carbon paste and platinum electrodes.

The electrochemical behaviour of a platinum(II) anti-tumour drug (cis-platin) has been investigated at the platinised platinum and carbon paste electrodes using cyclic voltammetry. Measurements performed in neutral aqueous media at the platinised platinum electrode as a function of free chloride ions have enabled the nature of oxidised species to be established and the sensitive determination of the molecule within the range of concentration 1 x 10(-3) - 1 x 10(-5) M to be realised. Use of the carbon paste electrode offers interesting insights into the redox stability of the molecule and allows the hydrolytic degradation of cis-platin to be followed as a function of time.

Redox behaviour of anti-tumor platinum (II) compounds (carboplatin) at solid electrodes.

The electroactivity of a cytostatic complex of platinum (II) possessing no halide ligand (carboplatin) has been studied in aqueous media using platinum and carbon paste electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry has been conducted in order to elucidate the redox behaviour of carboplatin as a function of chloride concentration. Reduction was not observed although oxidation was detected. The nature of the compounds formed during the electro-oxidation was directly related to free chloride ions. At the carbon paste electrode, the reduction of the oxidized species occurred in two steps with the formation of cis-platinum structures and a subsequent electrodeposition of platinum particles. The surface modification step at the carbon paste electrode has demonstrated electrocatalytic properties of the electrode towards platinum (II) complexes possessing halide ligands in their structures. Electrodeposition of platinum ions at a platinum electrode surface as well as a judicious choice of working parameters allows quantitative determinations in the concentration range 3 x 10(-4) - 1 x 10(-5) M.

[Not Available]. / Oxydation electrochimique de la khelline et de l'amikhelline: etude par voltammetrie cyclique.

The electrochemical oxidation of khelline and amikhelline (chromone derivatives) has been performed by cyclic voltammetry at carbon-paste and polymeric carbon electrodes. The mechanism of oxidation of the two compounds at various pH values has been deduced. The detection limit is 8 x 10(-7)M. A constant-current coulometrie procedure is also described, based on the oxidation of the two chromones with vanadium(V) and backtitration of the excess of oxidant with iron(II).