Chelate adsorption for trace voltammetric measurements of iron(III)

Summary

A very sensitive electrochemical stripping procedure for trace measurements of iron(III) is described. The chelate of iron with Solochrome Violet RS is adsorbed on the hanging mercury drop electrode, and the reduction current of the accumulated chelate is measured by voltammetry. The adsorption and redox behaviours are explored by cyclic voltammetry. The height of the chelate peak, which is about 0.28 V more negative than the peak of the free dye, is shown to be proportional to the iron concentration. Optimal experimental conditions include a preconcentration potential of −0.40 V, solution pH of 5.1 and a linear scan mode. The sharp chelate peak, associated with the effective interfacial accumulation, coupled with the flat baseline, facilitates measurements at the nanomolar and submicromolar concentration levels using short preconcentration times. The limit of detection after 1 min preconcentration is 0.04 μgl⁻¹ (7 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), and the relative standard deviation at the 10⁻⁷ M level is 4.7%. The effects of possible interferences, due to coexisting metal ions or organic surfactants, are evaluated. The ability of measuring iron(III) in the presence of iron(II) is illustrated. Actual analyses of sea and tap waters are reported.