Voltammetric Determination of Carcinogenic Derivatives of Pyrene Using a Boron-Doped Diamond Film Electrode

Abstract

Based on the study of voltammetric behavior of carcinogenic 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), 1-aminopyrene (1-AP), and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP), optimum conditions have been found for the determination of these analytes by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) at a boron-doped diamond film electrode. The optimum medium was methanol-Britton–Robinson buffer (BR buffer) pH 3.0 (70:30) for 1-NP and 1-AP, and methanol-BR buffer pH 5.0 (70:30) for 1-HP. Concentration dependences of the DPV response were measured in the range 1 · 10⁻⁶–1 · 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ (R = −0.9998) with the limit of detection (LOD) 3 · 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³ for 1-NP, 1 · 10⁻⁷–1 · 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ (R = 0.9971) with LOD 6 · 10⁻⁸ mol dm⁻³ for 1-AP, and 1 · 10⁻⁷–1 · 10⁻⁵ mol dm⁻³ (R = 0.9934) with LOD 1 · 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³ for 1-HP. Simultaneous determination of 1-NP and 1-AP in a mixture was tested in the methanol-BR buffer pH 3.0 (70:30) medium as well. The content of 1-AP in the concentration range from 1 · 10⁻⁶ to 1 · 10⁻⁴ mol dm⁻³ had no effect on the sensitivity of the determination of 1-NP, and vice versa. Due to the close peak potentials of 1-AP and 1-HP, the direct determination of their mixture using voltammetric methods is impossible.

Keywords:

• 1-Aminopyrene
• 1-Hydroxypyrene
• 1-Nitropyrene
• Boron-doped diamond film electrode
• Chemical carcinogens
• Differential pulse voltammetry
• Solid phase extraction

Acknowledgments

This paper is part of a special issue organized by Dr. Nikolaos Thomaidis and Dr. Antony C. Calokerinos from research presented at the Aegean Analytical Chemistry Days Conference in Lesvos, Greece on 29 September–3 October 2010.

Financial support of this work, provided by The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Projects MSM 0021620857, and KONTAKT (AMVIS) project ME 10004 (NEMVAD)) by the Charles University in Prague (Projects UNCE 2012/44 and SVV 2012-265201), by The Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (Project P206/12/G151), and by the project SVV–2011–263204, is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

^a RSD of the peak height of 1-AP at its given concentration upon the measurement of concentration dependences of 1-NP.

^b RSD of the peak height of 1-NP at its given concentration upon the measurement of concentration dependences of 1-AP.