Current Status of Polarography and Voltammetry in Analytical Chemistry

ABSTRACT

Even in the age of separations and atomic absorption electroanalytical methods can be methods of choice in some special cases. To decide when polarography with a dropping mercury electrode or voltammetry with other types of electrodes can be successfully used, limitations and advantages of analytical applications of these techniques are summarized. Examples of recent application to some basic problems (lack of conjugation in C=N-N=C groupings, acid-base and hydration-dehydration reactions) and applied problems (analyses of heterogeneous suspensions used in investigation of Me²⁺ with bile salts, adsorption of pesticides on lignin, alkaline cleavage of lignin under mild conditions) are given.

Keywords::

• Polarography
• voltammetry
• applications
• conjugation
• acid-base equilibria
• hydration-dehydration equilibria
• heterogeneous suspensions
• bile salts
• Me²⁺ interactions
• lignin