Cathodic Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry of Cytosine and Guanine in Presence of Acridine Orange

Abstract

A cathodic adsorptive electrochemical behavior of cytosine and guanine in the presence of acridine orange (DNA‐intercalating dye) at the static mercury drop electrode was investigated. Optimum experimental conditions were found to be the use of a 0.001 M NaOH solution with an acridine orange concentration of 2 ppm, an initial potential of −0.0 V, a scan rate of 10 mV s⁻¹, and a linear scan mode. The more convenient relation to measuring the cytosine and guanine in the presence of acridine orange is 1:1:2. A new approach for improving the selectivity in analysis using copper and zinc as masking agents also was investigated. Cyclic voltammetry was used to characterize the interfacial and redox behavior.

Keywords:

• Cytosine and guanine determination
• acridine orange
• copper
• zinc
• ssDNA
• stripping voltammetry

The authors gratefully acknowledge the CNPq and CAPES of the Government of Brazil and PUC‐Rio for support of this work. The experimental assistance of A.B. Neves is appreciated.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Arnaldo Aguiar Castro

Permanent address: Arnaldo Aguiar Castro, Fac. Quimica, Quimica Analitica, Universidad de La Habana, Cuba.