Poly(isonicotinic acid) modified glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical detection of norepinephrine

A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with electropolymerized films of isonicotinic acid in pH 5.6 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The modified electrode showed an excellent electrocatalytical effect on the oxidation of norepinephrine (NE). In PBS of pH 7.4, the oxidation current increased linearly with two concentration intervals of NE, one is 4.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-5) M, the other is 1.0 x 10(-5) to 2.0 x 10(-4) M. The detection limit (S/N = 3) obtained by DPV was 6.0 x 10(-9) M. Then the modified electrode was used to determine NE in an excess of ascorbic acid (AA) by difference pulse voltammetry. The peak potentials recorded in a PBS of pH 7.4 were -68 and +111 mV versus SCE for AA and NE, respectively. The high selectivity and sensitivity for NE was found to be due to the very distinct attracting interaction between NE cations and the negtively charged poly(isonicotinic acid) film in pH 7.4 PBS. The proposed method exhibited good recovery and reproducibility. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.