Copper-palladium alloy nanoparticle plated electrodes for the electrocatalytic determination of hydrazine

The preparation of copper-palladium alloy nanoparticle plated screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPE/Cu-Pd) and their use for the electrocatalytic determination of hydrazine in pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution is described. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study indicates that the SPE/Cu-Pd prepared by successive electrochemical deposition of Cu and Pd is possessed of strong perturbed electronic interaction with a high Pd/Cu atomic ratio. Flow injection analysis of hydrazine using the SPE/Cu-Pd shows a linear detection range of 2-100 mu M at an applied potential of +0.2 V versus Ag/AgCl with a current sensitivity and relative standard deviation of 0.21 mu A/mu M and 1.86%, respectively. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was 270 nM. Quantitative detection of hydrazine in cigarette tobacco was further demonstrated using the proposed electrode. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.