Simultaneous determination of iron and copper using screen-printed carbon electrodes by adsorptive stripping voltammetry with o-phenanthroline.

Abstract

The simultaneous voltammetric determination of iron and copper was accomplished by an unmodified screen-printed carbon electrode based on the complexation with o-phenanthroline assisted by the reducing agent ferrocyanide. The detection limits were 3.74 and 0.34 µg L−1 for iron and copper, respectively, and a linear response was observed from 12.5 to 400 µg L−1 for iron and from 1.14 to 400 µg L−1 for copper. This method successfully avoids interferences between iron and copper while allowing the simultaneous determination of both low and high metal concentrations usually found in the environment. Finally, a certified wastewater reference material was successfully analyzed, confirming the precision and accuracy of the proposed method.