Voltammetric analysis using an amalgam electrode

摘要

The properties of dental amalgam as an electrode material in voltammetry are presented. It was found that dental amalgam has a very high overpotential to hydrogen, allowing one to carry out trace analyses at potentials sufficiently negative to allow determination of e.g. zinc, cobalt, nickel and iron at trace levels. This has not previously been possible except from using a mercury or a mercury film electrode. Such determinations are very important for field and online analyses of pollutants in soil and groundwater, and the electrode can be used repeatedly.