Polythiophene derivative conducting polymer modified electrodes and microelectrodes for determination of ascorbic acid. Effect of possible interferents

Conventional-size electrodes and microelectrodes coated by electrogenerated poly[4,4'-bis(butylsulfanyl)-2,2'-bithiophene] have been tested with respect to the electrocatalytic oxidation of a particularly interesting analyte, i.e., ascorbic acid, in different concentrations of phosphate buffer, aqueous solution. Linear sweep and cyclic voltammetry have been used and the quantities related to the analyte concentration were the peak current and the diffusion (t(-1/2)) deconvoluted peak current in the case of conventional-size and of microelectrode, respectively. Fairly good linear correlation could be found; a particularly wide linearity range was obtained by working with the microelectrode. It showed to give good results also at a very low (10(-4) M) phosphate buffer-supporting electrolyte concentration. The actual interference on the analysis of compounds often coupled with ascorbic acid in natural or pharmaceutical products has been studied.