Silver amalgam electrodes in electroanalysis of selected agrochemicals

Development and testing of novel non-toxic electrode materials, detection arrangements and analytical methods applicable in determination of selected agrochemicals is the main aim of this Ph.D. Thesis. New working electrodes based on silver solid amalgam paste (AgSA-PE) with organic pasting liquid and other based on crystallic silver amalgam (CAgAE) were developed, their electrochemical behaviour investigated and further used in voltammetric determination of widespread and toxic environmental pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). This analyte could be determined by DPV at AgSA-PE with limit of detection (LD) 1×10−6 mol l−1 and using CAgAE with LD 4×10−7 mol l−1 , both in 0.2 mol l−1 acetate buffer pH 4.8. Attempts to decrease LDs by utilization of adsorptive stripping voltammetry were not successful in either case. Crystallic silver amalgam was also successfully used for construction of microcylindric flow-through cell and tested for amperometric determination of nitrophenol mixture in HPLC-ED system. Both novel electrodes were found to be suitable alternatives to toxic mercury electrodes and the CAgAE seems to be promising working electrode for flowing systems. Method for sample preparation and voltammetric determination of broad-spectrum herbicide Glyphosate in contaminated soil samples was also..