Advanced Carbon Nanomaterials for Electrochemical Sensing in the Determination of Trace V(V) Concentrations

A new method is described for the determination of vanadium using adsorptive stripping voltammetry of V(V) complexed with cupferron at a CNTs/SGC electrode modified with a lead film. The CNTs/SGC electrode is based on carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and spherical glassy carbon, which form the foundation of modern sensor technology. Optimal conditions of adsorptive voltammetric measurement were found to be modification/accumulation potential and time of −1.6 V and 60 s, respectively, and supporting electrolyte of 0.2 mol/L NaAc–HAc buffer (pH 5.3) containing 0.3 mmol/L cupferron and 0.15 mmol/L Pb(II). The response of the system was found to be linear in a range of V(V) concentrations from 0.25 nmol/L to 10 nmol/L. The detection limit was found to be 0.08 nmol/L. The selectivity of the procedure was determined by analysing the effect of other interfering ions on the vanadium analytical signal. The method was successfully validated by analysing natural environmental waters.