A DUMMY CELL FOR DIFFERENTIAL-PULSE POLAROGRAPHIC ANALYSERS

Summary-A non-linear network is proposed for simulating the response of electrochemical cells in differential-pulse polarographic (DPP) analysis. The response of a DPP analyser connected to the dummy cell is a bell-shaped current peak (I,,) located at any desired point along the potential-scan range. Approximate model calculations of the expected I p as a function or lhc dummy-cell paramclcrs arc in good agreement with measured data. It is suggested that the dummy cell could be useful in the analytical laboratory and during studies for improving DPP analysers. Differential pulse polarography (DPP) has been shown to have great potentialities as an analytical tool for the determination of trace heavy metalsl.2 and other compounds.3 In this voltammetric method, the electrochemical cell is subjected to a pulse-type potential-scan which produces large transient currents, thereby increasing the sensitivity of analysis. The signal-to-noise ratio is further improved by applying a differential modeoroperation in which th