Studies on voltammetric determination of cadmium in samples containing native and digested proteins

•Proteins exhibit diverse impact on the DPASV cadmium signals.•Proteins subjected to HNO3 introduce less interference, than the native ones.•Optimal amount of SDS depends on the kind of protein.•Presence of thiolated coating agents of QDs do not influence the analysis.

This work focuses on determination of cadmium ions using anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) on thin film mercury electrode in conditions corresponding to those obtained after digestion of cadmium-based quantum dots and their conjugates. It presents the impact of selected proteins, including potential receptors and surface blocking agents on the voltammetric determination of cadmium. Experiments regarding elimination of interferences related to proteins presence using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) are also shown. Effect of SDS on selected analytical parameters and simplicity of analyses carried out was investigated in the framework of current studies. The significant differences of influence among tested proteins on ASV cadmium determination, as well as the variability in SDS effectiveness as the antifouling agent were observed and explained. This work is especially important for those, who design new bioassays and biosensors with a use of quantum dots as electrochemical labels, as it shows what problems may arise from presence of native and digested proteins in tested samples.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide