Advanced materials for inorganic pollutants electroanalysis

The aim of this work is the development and application of new electrodic materials, such as gold Nanoelectrode Ensembles (NEEs) and Pyrolyzed Photoresist Carbon Electrodes (PPCE), for the electroanalysis of some inorganic pollutants. NEE were applied to the anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) of Inorganic Arsenic and, after modification with Bismuth, to the ASV of Pb(II). Moreover, we report the simultaneous in-situ adsorptive cathodic stripping determination of Nickel and Cobalt at bismuth modified gold electrodes. This technique is useful and complementary to ASV. The last part of the thesis is devoted to the study and electroanalytical application of a new kind of electrode material named Pyrolyzed Photoresist Carbon. In this chapter, we optimize the pyrolysis conditions and demonstrate the applicability of these electrodes for the analysis of heavy metals ions, such as Cd(II) and Pb(II) via ASV and Ni(II) and Co(II) by AdCSV. PPCE modified with gold nanoparticles are finally developed for performing preliminary tests on the possible ASV determination of trace As(III).