The electrochemical determination of phenolic derivates using multiple pulsed amperometry with graphite based electrodes

The electrochemical determinations of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) by chronoamperometry (CA) and multiple pulsed amperometry (MPA) using expanded graphite-epoxy composite (EC-Epoxy) and rotating spectral graphite disc (SC) electrodes are reported. The electrochemical behaviours of both electrodes in the presence of organics informed about oxidation peak potential and the electrode fouling with organics concentration increasing. Setting up the oxidation peak potential as detection potential, only SC gave good electroanalytical performance using CA. However, by MPA applying both electrodes exhibited the capability to assess electrochemically and quantitatively the pollutants from aqueous solutions. UV spectrometric method detecting 4-CP and 4-NP at. lambda = 280 nm and lambda = 398 nm wavelength, respectively was used for validation and parallel determinations. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.