Hot-wire stripping potentiometric measurements of trace mercury

Hot-wire electrochemistry has been combined with stripping chronopotentiome try. The new hot-wire stripping potentiometric protocol couples the effecti ve heat-induced metal deposition inherent to heated electrodes with the pow erful stripping and sophisticated background correction of microprocessor-c ontrolled chronopotentiometry. Such coupling is demonstrated in connection to trace measurements of mercury at a gold wire microelectrode. The greatly enhanced mercury signal accrued from the use of the heated electrode obvia tes the need for a forced-convective hydrodynamic systems (as desired, for example, in remote/submersible stripping operations). Using an electrode te mperature of 60 degrees C and a quiescent solution, the response is linear over the 0.5-25 mu g/l range tested (2 min deposition), with a detection li mit of 80 ng/l (following a 10 min accumulation). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.