An on-line electrochemical stripping procedure for trace determination
of vanadium was developed combining the advantages of adsorptive stri
pping voltammetry with flow injection analysis. The vanadium formed a
complex with cupferron in an acetate buffered solution which adsorbed
onto the mercury film electrode. An amplification of the stripping cur
rent was attained by the catalytic reduction of the adsorbed complex i
n the presence of bromate. The complex was deposited at + 200 mV (vs:A
g/AgCl) then stripped using a differential pulse waveform with a scan
rate of 10 mV s(-1), the reduction peak occurring at + 100 mV. Under o
ptimized conditions a limit of detection of 8 ng l(-1) and mid-range s
tandard deviation of 2-3% were obtained. The response was linear up to
3.5 mu g l(-1) with a sensitivity of 0.1 mA 1 mu g(-1). Sample matrix
es containing high salt concentrations had to be measured by anodic st
ripping, depositing the complex cathodically at 0.0 V and resuming wit
h a scan to + 150 mV to prevent calomel formation.