An electrochemical sensor for the determination of Cu(II) using a modified electrode with ferrocenyl crown ether compound by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry

•A ferrocenyl crown ether complex is proposed for Cu(II) detection using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry.•The ferrocenyl fragment improves pre-concentration and sensitivity for Cu(II) determination.•The modified electrode was applied in the determination of Cu(II) in mining effluents and urine.

An electrochemical sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with ferrocenyl imine [(η5-C5H4CH=N-4′-benzo-15-crown-5)Fe(η5-C5H5)] (FcIB15C5) has been developed for the determination of Cu(II) using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The metalloligand was synthesized from ferrocene-carboxaldehyde and 4′-aminobenzo-15-crown-5. The metalloligand FcIB15C5 was characterized by FT-IR, 1H - 13C NMR spectroscopies and mass spectrometry and was obtained as a single isolated isomer (E-configuration). The optimum conditions for the prepared electrode were as follows: Britton-Robinson buffer with pH = 6.0, FcIB15C5 concentration = 0.3 mM, accumulation potential (Eacc) = −0.8 V and accumulation time (tacc) = 90 s. A linear range was observed from 10 to 70 μg L−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.11 μg L−1. The proposed procedure was validated with TMDA-64.2 and CRM-TMDW certified reference materials, and it showed good accuracy and precision. The methodology was applied to a mining effluent and urine samples with satisfactory results.

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