Electrochemical behaviour of persulphate on carbon paste electrodes modified with Prussian blue and analogous compounds

Peroxodisulphate ("persulphate") may be determined by direct current voltammetry (DCV) using carbon paste electrodes chemically modified with Prussian Blue, iron(III)-hexacyanoruthenate(II) or iron(III)-hexacyano-osmate(II). The determination is based on the exploitation of catalytic currents from the reduction of the modifiers. Best results are obtained for iron(III)-hexacyanoosmate(II) yielding a detection limit of 1 μg O₂^2-/ml (as persulphate) when using HCl (10^-2 mol/l) as supporting electrolyte and measuring in the DCV-mode. Electrodes doubly-modified with the osmium compound and a liquid anion-exchanger (Amberlite LA2) allow determinations of persulphate after preconcentration under open circuit conditions, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and perborate, with a detection limit of 20 ng O₂^2-/ml (as persulphate).