Some electrochemical characteristics of boron- and phosphorus-doped glassy carbon electrodes

Three glassy carbon (GC) samples: undoped and doped with boron or phosphorus, prepared at 1000degreesC, were compared in respect to hydrodynamic current-potential curves in acidic medium, cyclic voltammograms for Fe3+/2+ and Fe(CN)(6)(3-/4-) and argentometric titrations of halides. Some experiments were also carried out using standard Tokai and Sigri GC and Ag electrode. It appeared that GC doped with boron and phosphorus exhibited significant increase in hydrogen evolution overpotential. As for the electrode kinetics (DeltaE(p) criterion), no significant difference was observed between doped and undoped electrodes. In the potentiometric titrations the phosphorus-doped electrode was advantageous over the other GC and Ag electrodes as it enabled more precise end-point detection.