Alternating current polarography of some complexes in presence of ionic surfactants

✍ Scribed by Einar Jacobsen

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1966
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 504 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0003-2670
• DOI: 10.1016/s0003-2670(01)81707-4

✦ Synopsis

Small amounts of surface-active substances (surfactants) are often used in conventional d.c. polarography in order to suppress maxima on the waves. In a.~. polarography, however, the presence of surfactants must usually be avoided because the rate of the electron-transfer reaction is markedly decreased and a large decrease in, or even disappearance of, the a.c. polarographic wave may occur. Recent investigations of the effect of ionic surfactants on d.c. polarographic wavesl*" showed that the electrode reaction in certain cases is practically unaffected or even accelerated in the presence of large amounts of a surfactant having a charge opposite to that of the depolarizer. These phenomena have been interpreted by assuming that the depolarizer can penetrate through certain surface films2 and by the formation of a bridge which accelerates the electron-transfer between the electrode and the depolarizing specics3. Preliminary experiments indicated that this electron-transfer through a surface film gives rise to well-defined a.c. polarographic waves. The object of the present communication is to discuss briefly such a.c. waves and the possible application of ionic surfactants in analytical a.c. polarography. EXPERIMENTAL A.c. and d.c. polarograms were obtained manually by a polarograph built in this laboratory.

The circuit was the one described by BREYER AND BAUER~.

E. JACOBSEN * .