A mercury-free electrochemical sensor for the determination of thallium(I) based on the rotating-disc bismuth film electrode

A bismuth film electrode was tested and proposed as an environmentally friendly sensor for the determination of trace levels of Tl(I) in non-deoxygenated solutions. Determination of thallium was made by anodic stripping voltammetry at a rotating-disc bismuth film electrode plated in situ, using acetate buffer as the supporting electrolyte. The stripping step was carried out by a square wave potential-time excitation signal. A univariate optimisation study was performed with several experimental parameters as variables. Under the selected optimised conditions, a linear calibration plot was obtained in the submicromolar concentration range, allowing the electrochemical determination of thallium in trace amounts; the calculated detection limit was 10.8 nM and the relative standard deviation for 15 measurements of 0.1 μM Tl(I) was ±0.2%, for a 120 s accumulation time. Interference of other metals on the response of Tl(I) was investigated. Application to real environmental samples was tested. The bismuth film electrode appears to be a promising tool for electroanalytical purposes, ensuring the use of clean methodology.