Limitations of the use of the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance in stripping analysis of lead(II) and cadmium(II) on a quartz crystal platinum electrode with a thin mercury film

摘要

An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) with vapour deposited platinum electrodes was used as a support for a 150 nm mercury film. This EQCM was then used as a stripping detector for lead(II) and cadmium(II) in 0.2 M acetate buffer. Lead concentrations down to 1 mu g 1(-1) and cadmium concentrations down to 2 mu g 1(-1) could be measured but with limited precision only due to the composite electrode construction, that is, mercury deposited on platinum. Nan-mass frequency changes relating to changes in density and viscosity of the mercury film during the stripping of lead and cadmium were not observed under the above conditions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. [References: 17]