M. Donten et Z. Stojek, ANOMALIES OF STAIRCASE VOLTAMMETRIC PEAKS OBTAINED FOR THE REDUCTION OF METAL-IONS IN THE ABSENCE OF SUPPORTING ELECTROLYTE, Journal of electroanalytical chemistry [1992], 405(1-2), 1996, pp. 183-188
Staircase voltammetric (SCV) peaks for the reduction of metal cations
obtained in the absence of supporting electrolyte are much less sensit
ive to the current-sampling parameter cu compared with processes havin
g purely diffusional transport and excess supporting electrolyte. This
is apparently connected with the existence of an increased and changi
ng in time uncompensated resistance. To obtain SCV peaks of identical
height to the linear scan peaks, alpha should be set to 50% or the cur
rent should be measured at one half of the pulse time. It has also bee
n demonstrated that, at an intermediate level of supporting electrolyt
e, the staircase waveform apparently generates convectional transport
at the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode.