Electrochemical characterization of 2, 2′-[1, 2-ethanediylbis (nitriloethylidyne)]-bis-hydroquinone-carbon nanotube paste electrode and its application to simultaneous voltammetric determination of ascorbic acid and uric acid

The preparation and electrochemical characterization of a carbon nanotube paste electrode modified with 2,2'-[1,2-ethanediylbis (nitriloethylidyne)]-bis-hydroquinone, referred to as EBNBH, was investigated. The EBNBH carbon nanotube paste electrode (EBNBHCNPE) displayed one pair of reversible peaks at E-pa = 0.18 V and E-pc = 0.115 V vs Ag/AgCl. Half wave potential (E-1/2) and Delta E-p were 0.148 and 0.065 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. The electrocatalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) has been studied on EBNBHCNPE, using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. It has been shown that the oxidation of AA occurs at a potential where oxidation is not observed at the unmodified carbon paste electrode. The heterogeneous rate constant for oxidation of AA at the EBNBHCNPE was also determined and found to be about 1.07 x 10(-3) cm s(-1). The diffusion coefficient of AA was also estimated as 5.66 x 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1) for the experimental conditions, using chronoamperometry. Also, this modified electrode presented the property of electrocatalysing the oxidation of AA and uric acid (UA) at 0.18 and 0.35 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. The separations of anodic peak potentials of AA and UA reached 0.17 V. Using differential pulse voltammetry, the calibration curves for AA and UA were obtained over the range of 0.1-800 mu M and 20-700 mu M, respectively. With good selectivity and sensitivity, the present method provides a simple method for selective detection of AA and UA in biological samples.