STUDY OF ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF SELENIUM (+4) USING SQUARE-WAVE VOLTAMMETRY

The electrochemical reduction of selenium (+ 4) on hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) has been studied using square wave voltammetry (SWV). The product of the first, very complex electrode reaction can be further reduced in a process characterized by reactant and product adsorption. The height of the stripping peak increases up to four times with the addition of Cu2+ ions, although the electrode reaction becomes less reversible. The square wave cathodic stripping peak currents are an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding differential pulse values, but the detection limit (3 × 10−10 mol/L) is practically the same for both techniques. The concentration of selenium (+ 4) in rainwater samples has been determined. Copyright © 1990 VCH Publishers, Inc.